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It was a hard task to pull the almost unconscious lad over the 
side of the skiff, but Sam succeeded in doing it. Page 105. 
Frontispiece. Two Yankee M iddies. 






TWO YANKEE MIDDIES 



A STORY OF THE FIRST CRUISE OF AN 
AMERICAN SQUADRON IN 1775 


By WILLIAM P. CHIPMAN 

Author of “ The Young Minute-man,’ ’ “A Brave Defense, 
“A Daring Capture,” etc., etc. 


With Six Page Illustrations by J. Watson Davis 


A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 
NEW YORK 


.0 444 
~YW 


LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Coofes Received 

MAY 3 1904 

£ r --"vrlght p.ntry 

. 2. h> ~ / cj D ll~ 
CX. XXc. No. 

‘I 1 °l * n 

COPY A / 


COPYRIGHT I904 

By A. L. BURT COMPANY 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES 

BY WILLIAM P. CHIPMAN 


CONTENTS. 

9 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. A Game of Hide and Seek * 7 

II. A New Acquaintance 26 

III. An Important Discovery 46 

IV. The Breaking of the Pennant 65 

V. A Perilous Undertaking 83 

VI. Valuable Information 102 

VII. An Unsuccessful Ruse 121 

VIII. A Reconnoiter 138 

IX. Discovered 159 

X. The Lead of the Alfred 178 

XI. A General Stampede 196 

XII. A Bold Resolve 218 

XIII. The Missing Stores 242 

XIV. Homeward Bound 262 

XV. The Glasgow 286 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


It was a hard task to pull the almost unconscious lad over 

the side of the skiff Frontispiece 

page 

Under reefed jib and mainsail the stanch vessel dove into 

the huge waves 10 

“ Lads, this is my brother, Captain Fanning,” 55 

“ Cover the upper man, and I'll look out for the lower one,” 

said the lieutenant 150 

“ Lieutenant Jones, is that you?” 200 

Lifting the musket and pointing it at at the fellow, Tom 

replied, “ I am a Continental officer.” 256 


Two Yankee Middies 


EXPLANATORY NOTE. 


“O n December 22, 1775, a resolution was 
passed by the Continental Congress creating a 
Colonial Navy. By its provisions Ezek Hop- 
kins of Rhode Island was made the senior 
officer with the rank of Commodore, and four 
ships were ordered into commission. These 
were : The Alfred , Dudley Saltonstall, captain, 
Paul Jones, first lieutenant, and Benj. Seabury, 
second lieutenant ; The Columbus , Abraham 
Whipple, captain, Rhodes Arnold, first lieuten- 
ant, and Joseph Olney, second lieutenant ; The 
Andrea Doria, Nicholas Biddle, captain, Eli 
Stansbury, first lieutenant, and Elisha Warner, 
second lieutenant; The Cabot, John B. Hopkins, 
captain, Halsted Hacker, first lieutenant, and 
Thomas Weaver, second lieutenant. . . . On 
Feb. 17, 1776, the little fleet left port, cleared 
Cape Henlopen, and stood to the southward and 
eastward on a cruise to the Bahamas.” 

— Condensed from Buell’s Life of Paul Jones. 


6 


EXPLANATORY NOTE. 


w Ezek Hopkins was commissioned in Decem- 
ber, 1775, as Commodore and Commander-in- 
chief of the Continental Navy. Putting to sea 
in February, 1776, with a squadron of four ships 
he sailed to the Bahamas, and captured the 
forts on the island of New Providence with 
eighty cannon and large stores of ammunition.” 

— Extract from Encyclopedia Americana. 

It is the story of that cruise which this 
volume aims to tell. Tom Foster and Sam 
Lyman are midshipmen on the Alfred , and, 
under the leadership of the indomitable Paul 
Jones, who was so soon to become famous in 
American Naval History, they meet with thrill- 
ing experiences on land and sea. The best 
historical authorities have been consulted, and 
the author believes he has given here a true 
picture of an incident little known, yet of con- 
siderable importance to the Continental forces 
because of the large quantity of military stores 
obtained. 


William P. Chipman. 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


CHAPTER I. 

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 

It was the first day of December, 1775. 
Thick clouds covered the sky ; a sharp chill 
was in the air ; a heavy wind tossed the sea 
into foam ; a storm was close at hand, and the 
white flakes which now and then swept along 
before the stiff breeze suggested snow. 

But this was not the only danger which 
threatened the little packet-boat bound from 
Machias to Salem. Early that afternoon, as 
she ran by the north end of Matinicus, she had 
fallen in with a British frigate which immedi- 
ately gave chase. 

Confident that his sloop could outsail the 
larger craft before the wind, Captain Lewis put 


8 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


about and kept to the eastward until clear of 
the island, then, with the north wind at his 
heels, he took a course straight out to sea. 

Before he had gone five miles, however, he 
discovered that he had underrated the sailing 
qualities of the frigate. Her large spread of 
canvas more than made up for her greater size 
and weight, and it was clear that she was slowly 
overhauling him. So he changed his course 
again, this time to the west, having in mind a 
plan which he now proceeded to make known 
to two lads who stood near him on the quarter- 
deck, and who were evidently his passengers. 

“ I’ll tell ye, boys, what I’m up to. In ’bout 
three hours ’twill be dark an’ stormin’ like great 
guns. The two’ll come together, or my name 
ain’t Jerry Lewis. So I’m goin’ to keep that 
redcoat followin’ me round the isle ’til the 
night an’ the storm are here ; then I’ll slip away 
in the darkness an’ put the Polly into as snug 
a harbor as ye ever saw, where we can out- 
ride the gale, an’ ’scape the pryin’ eyes of the 
Britisher at the same time.” . 

“ I guess you are going to make for Monhe- 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 9 

gan, Captain,” the older of the two lads replied 
with a laugh. 

“ Sure ! Ever ben thar ? ” asked the skipper 
with evident interest. 

“ No, sir ; that is, not into the harbor,” the 
youth answered. “ But, when Sam and I were 
on the Liberty we heard Captain O’Brien speak 
of a safe haven there, especially from all 
northerly winds. But can you make it in the 
darkness ? ” 

“ I can if we have snow enough to whiten 
the islands ’fore we get thar,” the officer as- 
serted. “ Ye see the dark streak ’tween the 
two lighter ones will be the passage, an’ in 
we’ll go slicker than grease.” 

The sloop was now beyond the south end of 
Matinicus, and Captain Lewis himself took the 
helm, while he sent his mate forward to help 
the two seamen, who constituted the crew of 
the vessel, to trim the sails for a beat up the 
west shore of the island. The wind had 
steadily freshened ; the cold had become more 
intense ; and the snowflakes, changed by the 
lower temperature into bits of ice, came oftener 


10 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


and with a stinging force. It was clear the 
undertaking would be a difficult and a dis- 
agreeable one. 

Under reefed jib and mainsail the stanch 
vessel dove into the huge waves, her plucky 
captain running, in his tacks, as close into the 
wind as he could, and yet make headway. 
This maneuver enabled him to gain on the frig- 
ate, which was compelled not onty to take in 
much of her canvas, but to keep several points 
farther off the wind. When, therefore, the north 
end of the isle was again reached, the sloop was 
at least a mile ahead of the chasing craft. 

“AVe gained on that stretch, lads, an’ p’rhaps 
the Britisher ’ll give up the chase,” Captain 
Lewis remarked as he surrendered the helm to 
his mate for the second run to the eastward. 

But he was mistaken. With dogged persist- 
ency the frigate came on, and when a half-hour 
later the south course was taken, she threw out 
all the canvas she could carry in the heavy 
breeze, as though she remembered the vantage 
she had on her previous run before the wind, and 
was determined to overhaul her prey before she 



Under reefed jib and mainsail the stanch vessel dove into the huge waves — but with dogged 

persistency the frigate came on. Page 10. Two Yankee Middies. 








A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. H 

could make the westward turn at the lower end 
of the island. 

But so skilfully did the Yankee skipper 
handle his little craft, there was no perceptible 
change in the distance between the vessels when 
the south end of Matinicus was reached, and the 
turn about it made. The beat to the northward 
was but a repetition of that which had taken 
place earlier in the afternoon, except the in- 
creasing wind rendered it more difficult. When 
it was finished, however, the sloop had gained 
an additional half-mile on her pursuer ; and 
here the night and the storm, for which Captain 
Lewis was waiting, came. 

Instead of running across the east end of the 
isle again, therefore, he kept on towards the main 
coast as though his object was to find a harbor 
from the storm somewhere in Penobscot bay. 
But when the darkness had shut the frigate 
wholly from view, he once more put about, and 
took a southwest course for Monhegan, twenty 
miles away. 

With the wind abeam, for it had now shifted 
into the northeast, and with blinding sheets of 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


12 

snow chasing her up and sweeping along her 
deck, the Polly sped on through the tossing sea. 
Her commander held her tiller until satisfied 
his last move had been unnoticed by the enemy, 
then putting her into the care of his mate with 
orders to keep her on her present course for an 
hour and then to call him, he turned to his pas- 
sengers, who, notwithstanding the severity of 
the storm, were still on deck, saying : 

u We’ll go below now, lads, and see if Atus 
can’t find us somethin’ to eat.” 

They were soon in the warm cabin, where 
they found the negro cook already busy pre- 
paring supper. 

“ Holly, Massa Capt’n,” was his greeting, 
“ dat frigit ’ll neber ketch us in dis storm.” 

“ You are ’bout right, Atus,” the officer re- 
plied, rubbing his hands together in satisfac- 
tion ; “ an’ give us two hours more an’ we’ll be 
well sheltered from the gale. My little scheme 
is workin’ out ’bout as I thought it would.” 

In another five minutes he and his young 
companions had removed their greatcoats and 
were partaking with keen appetites of the hot 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 13 

viands the negro placed before them. While 
they were eating the Captain remarked : 

“I don’t s’pose yon youngsters liked the 
idee of runnin’ ’way from the redcoat ? Ye’d 
rather have lit him. That’s your style.” 

“ I don’t see what else we could do,” the lad 
who had been been called Sam by his comrade 
replied, as soon as he swallowed the food he 
was masticating. “ There are only seven of us, 
counting Tom and myself, while there are 
probably two hundred or more on the Britisher.” 

u And we have but two muskets,” put in the 
other youth, glancing up at the flint-locks fas- 
tened to the rear wall of the cabin ; u not much 
show against their twenty-four cannon, to say 
nothing about scores and scores of small arms. 
No, as Sam says, Captain, it was the only thing 
to do. But I wish we knew the name of the 
frigate.” 

“ Why ? ” questioned his comrade in some 
surprise. 

“ So we would recognize her if we ever ran 
in with her again,” Tom responded. “The 
time might come when we could chase her.” 


14 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“Prob’bly she’s one of the fleet which de- 
stroyed Falmouth last October,” * Captain 
Lewis suggested. “ Some of those craft have 
been cruisin’ ’long the coast ever since.” 

“But why should she want to capture the 
Polly ? ” the lad persisted. u It looks to me as 
though we were pretty small game for so large 
a vessel.” 

“ P’rhaps the Capt’n knows that you an’ Sam 
are on board, an’ wants to keep ye from jinin’ 
the Continental Navy,” chuckled the stalwart 
skipper, with a wink at Atus, who immediately 
grinned from ear to ear. 

The boys smiled, and Sam said : 

“More likely he knows the Polly is com- 
manded by Captain Jeremiah Lewis, who helped 
to capture the Mcirgaretta last June,f and 
wants to pay up old scores.” 

* On October, 17th, 1775, the town of Falmouth, now Port- 
land, Me., was destroyed by a British fleet under Captain 
Mowatt. 

f The British sloop Margaretta was captured on Monday, 
June 12th, 1775, in Machias bay by the sloop Unity manned 
by Capt. Jeremiah Lewis and about forty citizens of Ma- 
chias. It was the first naval victory of the Revolution. 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 15 

“How modest some folks be to leave out 
Tom Foster and Sam Lyman ! ” retorted the of- 
ficer in mock admiration ; then he continued 
seriously : 

“ Never mind, lads, what the motive of the 
redcoat was in chasin’ us. ’Twas a good deed 
that was done that day, if I do say it, an’ it won 
ye your commissions as midshipmen. I’m hop- 
in’ after ye jine yer vessel at Philadelfy, ’twill 
be as Tom wishes ; that ye’ll run in with this 
here same blasted frigate, an’ capture her. ” 

“For that reason I’d like to know her name,” 
Master Foster declared again, not knowing how 
soon his desire was to be granted. 

When Captain Lewis got ready to return to the 
deck the boys offered to accompany him, saying : 

“We’ll take the places of the men, and then 
they can come down with the mate for their 
supper.” 

“I wouldn’t accept that offer from every 
passenger,” the skipper replied, “ but I’d as lief 
have you forward as the men, an’ I guess they’ll 
be glad ’nough to get somethin’ hot to eat an’ 
drink. So tumble into your wraps an’ come on.” 


16 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

The lads obeyed, and were soon picking their 
way down the heaving deck of the Polly to her 
bow. She was still under reefed sail, yet tore 
along like a race-horse, as though trying to out- 
run the flurries of snow which were chasing 
her up. Mast, sail, jib, gunwales, deck, were 
already covered with a white blanket several 
inches thick. The clouds above, the whirling 
flakes below, shut off what little light the stars 
might have given, and a darkness as heavy as a 
pall shrouded the sloop and sea. 

Huddled close together, under such shelter 
as the reefed jib gave, the two lads kept their 
eyes and ears open for any sight or sound which 
should indicate they were approaching Mon- 
hegan. Only their confidence in the man who 
held the helm, and whom they knew was 
as familiar with every part of the coast as 
they were with the streets of Machias, freed 
them from apprehension. As it was, Sam, 
during a brief lull of the wind said to his 
comrade : 

u You don’t suppose we’ll miss the island, 
and ” 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. ft 

“ Run straight on to Portsmouth befoK 
morning,” broke in Tom with a little laugh. 
Then he went on with his answer : 

“ I should, were any one else but Captain Lewis 
in command ; but, as you know, he has time and 
time again taken the sloop through gales that 
have sunk many a larger ship. No, I expect in 
a half-hour to hear the breakers thundering on 
the east cliffs of the island. Unless I’m mis- 
taken we are running for them as straight 
as an arrow towards its mark. The Captain is 
going to put the Polly into her haven to-night 
more by sound than sight.” 

His surmise proved to be a correct one. In 
about the time he had specified his quick ear 
heard a low, dull booming ahead, and he went 
aft to report it. 

“ Breakers ahead,” he announced as he reached 
the Captain. 

“ Where away ? ” questioned the skipper. 

w A little to the north of the starboard bow,” 
was the answer. 

44 Good ! ” Captain Lewis ejaculated ; 44 it’s as 

I expected. Go back an’ wait till ye hear a low 
2 


13 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

moan followin’ the louder sounds, then report 
again.” 

In fifteen minutes the lad was back, declar- 
ing : 

“ I hear the moan after each louder peal.” 

Instantly the stalwart skipper put the bow of 
the vessel to the south, then he said : 

“ Let me know when the moaning has stopped, 
an 7 ye hear only the sound of the breakers on 
the cliffs off the starboard quarter.” 

In a few minutes Sam came back with the 
announcement that they had reached such a 
place. 

Captain Lewis without a word took a course 
due west, while the lad, uncertain as to what 
might now be expected of him, waited where 
he was. Shortly the wind lessened quite 
perceptibly in its force, the waves decreased 
in size, and even the snow flurries lifted 
greatly, and seemed to be sweeping along over- 
head. 

“ We are behind the island,” the Captain de- 
clared confidently ; u go an’ call the mate an’ 
men. I shall need them now. When they 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 

come on deck, Tom an’ you may go, an’ I thank 
ye for the good work ye have done.” 

Sam obeyed the command, and then joined 
his comrade forward, where they, though off 
duty, remained to watch the bringing of the 
Polly into her harbor. 

Captain Lewis set about the task in a way 
which suggested he had already formed his plan 
for carrying it out notwithstanding the wind 
and storm and darkness. Putting the helm 
into the hands of the mate, and stationing one 
of the sailors near the cabin, and the other in 
front of the mast, he himself went forward to 
the bowsprit. There he dropped down upon 
his hands and knees, and with his chin on the 
railing, peered off into the surrounding gloom. 

“ Port ! Starboard ! Straight ahead ! ” he 
called out from time to time, and his commands 
were taken up by the nearest man and repeated 
to the one behind him, and so passed along to 
the mate, who promptly put the sloop in the 
direction named. 

Slowly the little craft forged ahead, and with 
every minute the sea grew less boisterous, and 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the wind less rude. Once or twice the watching 
boys bent down and tried to look through the 
dark mantle that enveloped them, but they 
could not distinguish between the land and 
water. Yet the grizzly Captain never once 
hesitated in his orders, or in any way seemed 
perplexed about his course. Steadily came his 
commands, until the furled jib and sail swung 
idly in their places, so slight was the breeze 
that beat upon them. Then with the stentorian 
call: 

“ Forward, men ! Let go the anchor ! ” the 
crouching officer sprang to his feet, and with 
his own hands assisted the sailors in loosening 
the cable and dropping the iron overboard. 

“ Here we are, lads,” he said to his passengers 
a moment later, “ safe from the wind and sea, 
an’ hid away from the Britisher. The snow 
may cover us, but it can’t sink us. We may as 
well go below an’ turn in,” and with a final 
order to his men to make everything snug for 
the night, he led the way down into the 
cabin. 

Quickly removing their outer garments, and 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 


21 


hanging them near the fire to dry, the boys 
tumbled into their berths, and were soon 
asleep. 

It was light when Tom awoke. Glancing 
about him he saw Atus was already astir get- 
ting breakfast ; and, by the sounds which reached 
his ears from the deck, he concluded that the 
Captain and his crew were up there clearing it 
of its covering of snow. Leaping from his bunk, 
therefore, he crossed over to the one occupied 
by his comrade, and shook him. 

“ Wake up, Sam ! ” he called. “ Let us go up 
and help Captain Lewis and his men dig out 
the sloop.” 

“All right,” Sam answered good-naturedly; 
and in a few moments they were ready to leave 
the cabin. 

As they reached the deck the first thing they 
noticed was that the storm was already over, 
the sky was clearing, and apparently a good 
day, though keen and cold, was before them. 
Then they noted the shape and size of the little 
haven in which the Polly had taken refuge. 
Staring about him Sam exclaimed : 


22 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Why, there are two islands here, instead of 
one!” 

“ Yes, and this bay is no bay at all, but a 
strait between them,” Tom responded. 

u That’s ’bout it, lads,” Captain Lewis de- 
clared, approaching his passengers at this mo- 
ment, and greeting them with a hearty good 
morning. “The main island is here on our 
right, while that other on the port side is but 
a huge heap of rocks, as ye’d see if it wasn’t 
covered with snow. Then just ahead of us is 
the narrow channel which cuts it off from the 
bigger one. No one would ’spect it, though, 
who hasn’t been in here, for down thar at its 
entrance the passage seems to be only a small 
bay.” 

“ I wonder if there’s water enough for the 
sloop to go out that way,” Tom remarked, and 
nodding his head towards the narrow strait in 
front of them. 

“ I should try it, if I had to,” the Captain re- 
plied, “ though I should want a flood-tide under 
the Polly's keel. A bigger craft wouldn’t 
stand much chance.” 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 


23 


“ And it will be flood-tide in an hour,” the 
lad continued. 

“Yes,” the skipper admitted; “but what of 
that ? ” 

u Oh ! I was only thinking if the frigate dis- 
covered our hiding-place we could escape that 
way,” the boy answered. 

“ So we could,” the officer responded, “ but it 
isn’t likely we shall need to. Arter breakfast 
I’m goin’ to climb up to the top of those rocks 
an’ take an observation. If the frigate isn’t 
round, an’ I don’t believe she is, we’ll go out as 
we came in, an’ scud ’way towards Salem at the 
Polly's best gait.” 

“ Let us help you clear away the snow, Cap- 
tain,” Sam now said, remembering why Tom 
and he had come on deck. 

“It’s ’bout done,” Captain Lewis replied, 
“Thar wasn’t as much of it as I calkilated on. 
Couldn’t have snowed much arter midnight. 
You can help break out the riggin’, though, if 
ye want to.” 

“ Aye, aye, sir,” the boys responded, and has- 
tening to assist the men in this work. 


24 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


In a half-hour both ropes and sails had been 
freed from their coating of snow and ice, and 
were in good working order. The deck and 
railing had previously been cleared of their 
white mantle, so the sloop now bore little trace 
of the storm through which she had passed. 

u I guess we’ll call it quits,” the Captain re- 
marked, as Atus poked his woolly head out of 
the cabin door, and bawled : “ Breakfast ! ” 

Then he added : 

u Seein’ how everythin’ is so snug-like, we 
may as well all go down an’ eat together. I 
reckon this keen air has made ye all hungry.” 

No one needed a second invitation, and shortly 
they were seated at the cabin table doing full 
justice to the meal the negro had prepared. 

Ten minutes passed, then so suddenly as to 
cause every inmate of the cabin to leap to his 
feet in alarm, there came the boom of a cannon 
close at hand, followed by a whirring, whizzing 
shriek above the deck of the sloop, and an im- 
mediate crash among the trees on the adjacent 
shore. 

Pushing and crowding one another up the 


A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK. 


25 


companionway both men and boys reached the 
deck to find the British frigate hove to off the 
tiny harbor, and preparing to send in a yawl to 
capture them. 


CHAPTER II. 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 

The sight of the British vessel in such close 
proximity filled every observer but the stalwart 
Captain with alarm. He merely ejaculated : 

“ So she’s found us arter all,” and then pro- 
ceeded to fill and light his pipe as coolly as 
though to have an English frigate following him 
up was the most commonplace thing in the 
world. 

“ Haven’t we time to slip away through the 
north passage, Captain Lewis ? ” Tom asked, 
greatly perplexed by the skipper’s unconcern. 

“ Lots of it,” the officer admitted, and watch- 
ing steadily every movement of the enemy. 
“ But the longer we wait, the better ’twill be 
for us.” 

“ How do you make that out ? ” questioned 

Sam in surprise, while the mate and two sailors 
56 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


27 


looked at their commander as though they 
doubted his sanity. 

The yawl, loaded with marines, was already 
leaving the side of the man-of-war, and nodding 
towards it, Captain Lewis said : 

“ The nearer that boat gets to us ’fore we 
give ’em the slip, the longer it’ll take for it to 
go back to the frigate, an’ she’s got to wait till 
it returns ’fore she can chase us up. She das- 
sent come up through here, an’ by the time she 
picks up the yawl, an’ goes out ’round the west 
isle, we shall be purty nigh half-way over to 
Pemaquid Point.” 

Here he waited a minute for his hearers to 
take in the full force of his declaration ; then 
he went on : 

“ Our sails are already up, dry in’ in the sun 
as we left ’em when we went down to break- 
fast. ’T won’t take a half -minute to cut our 
cable, which I’m goin’ to do, an’ pick up the 
anchor on my voyage back to Machias. So ye 
see it’s ’bout as I say, we’ve lots of time to get 
through the passage.” 

As though to give additional weight to his 


28 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

words he now sat down on the stern rail, and 
puffed away at his pipe with a nonchalance 
which was clearly assumed, for a keen observer 
would have noticed that he was taking in the 
direction of the wind, the condition of the tide, 
the distance through the narrow channel, and 
the progress the on-coming boat was making. 

Five minutes passed. The yawl was now not 
over a musket-shot away. Suddenly Captain 
Lewis became transformed into a man of action. 
Leaping quickly from the rail he knocked the 
ashes from his pipe, and put it into his pocket. 
Then his commands rang out in low, but de- 
cisive tones : 

“ Send a man forward to cut the cable, Mr. 
Brown. Then stand ready to tauten the sails,” 
and he walked briskly over to the tiller, grasp- 
ing it with a firm hand. 

So speedily were his orders obeyed, it seemed 
but an instant before the little sloop was gliding 
across to the west side of the harbor, at this 
point not over fifty yards wide. Once close 
under the shore of the rocky islet, the sturdy 
helmsman brought her about, and with the sails 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


29 


fairly well filled by the morning breeze, darted 
straight into the narrow channel separating the 
two islands. 

This movement seemed to puzzle the oc- 
cupants of the approaching yawl, for the rowers, 
at the command of their officer, rested for a 
moment on their oars, while all gazed curiously 
at the Polly . Then, apparently coming to the 
conclusion that the Yankees were going to 
beach their craft, and take to the woods, the 
pursuers gave a great yell, and came on again 
with a tremendous spurt, hoping to overtake 
them before they could carry out their pur- 
pose. 

Not until they were at the beginning of the 
narrow passage, and the escaping sloop was well 
out upon the ocean itself, did they discover how 
they had been outwitted. Then, sending a 
volley of musket balls after the fleeing vessel — 
a volley that fell wide of its mark — they whirled 
about and dashed back towards the waiting 
frigate. They must have made good time on 
their return, and the man-of-war a quick pas- 
sage about the southwest end of Monhegan, for 


30 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

the Polly was not over two miles ahead when 
she was again sighted, but she still held this 
vantage when two hours later she rounded 
Pemaquid Point, and headed into John’s Bay. 

That Captain Lewis still had a definite plan 
of procedure in his mind was clearly indicated 
the moment the rocky point shut the frig- 
ate from his view. Concealed by the high 
cliffs he took a course across the broad bay to 
its opposite shore, and, running between the 
outlying reefs and Heron Island, entered the 
mouth of the Damariscotta River. Here he 
put the helm into the hands of the mate, and 
went over to where his two passengers were 
standing in the lee of the cabin. 

“ So far, so good, lads,” he commented, “ an’ 
the frigate hasn’t caught us yet. Maybe we 
could keep out of her reach by dodgin’ ’mong 
these islands. But I have another plan to 
throw her off our track, if ye’ll give me your 
help.” 

“ You may count on us to assist you in any 
way we can,” they responded together. 

“Well, ye may not know it, but this point 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


31 


on our left that seems to be a part of the main 
shore is really an island. Some miles up the 
river thar is a narrow passage back into John’s 
Bay. So runnin’ up the river I can get out 
either way, this side or t’other side of Thumb 
Cap Point. My scheme is to go up the river 
with the Polly where the frigate can’t follow 
her, an’ there I’ll stay till nightfall. Then, find- 
in’ out which passage the Britisher is guardin’, 
I’ll slip out by the other, an’ ’fore mornin’ be 
well down toward Salem.” 

“ Yes, but how are you going to know which 
passage the frigate is guarding ? ” Tom asked. 

“That’s where I want your an’ Sam’s help,” 
explained the officer. “ I want you two lads to 
take our skiff, an’ go ashore on Rutherford’s 
Island an’ keep watch over the frigate. ’Pore 
night you’ll know whether she has given up the 
chase, or is still hangin’ round here. If here- 
abouts you can locate her, an’ then come up the 
river arter us with your information. You’ll 
find us in the second cove ’bove here on your 
right. I’ll have a light put over the side of the 
sloop so ye can’t miss us. What say ye ? ” 


32 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ We are ready,” was the prompt response. 

It took but a few minutes to provision the 
small boat for the day’s sojourn on the adjacent 
point, and then the boys rowed themselves into 
the small cove opposite which the Polly now 
was, while she kept on up the river. 

Landing on a pebbly beach, surrounded by a 
heavy pine forest, the first act of the lads was 
to conceal their boat ; then they clambered up 
the hill, and crossed over to the east shore of 
the narrow point. On a rocky bluff, jutting 
well out into John’s Bay, they decided to take 
their first observation, and were scarcely in a 
position to overlook the sea, when they experi- 
enced two surprises. 

The first was to find the British vessel close 
in shore. Evidently she had, on turning Pema- 
quid Point, started up the inlet into which she 
believed her prey had gone. Then becoming 
convinced of the second ruse played upon her 
by the fleeing craft, she had crossed over to the 
west shore in pursuit of her. Punning too close 
to the cliffs, however, she had lost the wind, and 
was now getting out a boat to tow her out # 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


33 


where the northwest breeze rippled the surface 
of the water. Her nearness to them permitted 
the watchers to read her name. 

“ The Glasgow ,” Tom announced. “ Grood ! 
we shall know her when we meet her again.” 

But Sam had made a more surprising dis- 
covery. 

“ Look ! ” he exclaimed in a suppressed whis- 
per, and clutching his comrade’s arm. “ If 
there isn’t the old Tory, Ichabod Jones* stand- 
ing on the quarter-deck with her captain.” 

“ Sure enough ! ” Tom ejaculated in a low 
voice. Then he continued : “ That explains the 
persistency of the frigate in following us up. 
Master Jones wants to get his vessel again.” 

“ Yes, and it also explains how we came to be 
found at Monhegan, and why we are so quickly 
followed over here,” added Sam. “ Master Jones 
knows these waters as well as Captain Lewis.” 

“ And for that reason the Captain’s plan for 
throwing off the frigate to-night may not work,” 

* He belonged in Machias, and his two sloops, the Unity send 
the Polly, had been confiscated by the town committee be- 
cause of his Toryism. 

3 


34 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

Tom commented. u But all we can do is to 
watch and wait.” 

While the lads were talking, the work of 
lowering the yawl had been completed, and a 
stout cable stretched between the crafts. Now 
under the sturdy pull of the oarsmen the man- 
of-war began to forge ahead. Her course car- 
ried her near a rocky islet, a few rods off from 
the main shore. As she came abreast of this 
there was the sudden report of a musket, and a 
bullet cut the towing rope close to the frigate’s 
bow as neatly as if it had been severed with a 
knife, while a light puff of smoke from the 
center of the adjacent heap of rocks told the 
location of the perpetrator of the deed. 

Excited by the mysterious shot, and forgetful 
of their own safety, the boys sprang to their feet, 
and gazed wonderingly first at the islet, and then 
at the vessel, which under the force of the tide 
was fast drifting towards the dangerous reef. 
There was a vast difference in the two objects 
of their vision. The isle was as still as death ; 
while the vessel was all commotion. 

For the British captain, springing quickly 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


35 


into the starboard quarter, had issued two com- 
mands in a voice which made them distinctly 
audible to the listening lads. 

“ Put out another cable ! Clear away the 
gun ! ” 

Rapidly a new rope was payed out to the 
towing boat, which had backed up under the 
bow of the vessel to receive it, then a broadside 
was fired at the innocent looking pile of stones 
a few fathoms away. Pieces of rock and a 
cloud of snow and sand flew high in the air 
above the islet, but not a sound or a movement 
told whether the solitary gunner there had been 
injured. 

u Do you suppose they killed him ? ” Sam 
asked in awed tones. 

“ I don’t see where he could hide to escape 
that shower of balls,” Tom replied thought- 
fully ; “ nor do I understand his reason for at- 
tacking the frigate single-handed. It seems 
foolhardy.” 

“He certainly has accomplished nothing,” 
Sam declared, “ for there they pull the vessel off 
shore again.” 


36 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


It was true. Already the new cable had been 
stretched taut, and the Glasgow was for the 
second time slowly moving out towards the rip- 
pling waters, now no great distance away. A 
brief delay in her maneuver seemed to be the 
only disadvantage she had suffered from the 
musket shot, and in live minutes she would be 
where the wind would fill her sails. 

Crack ! Again the musket report rang out 
upon the air — this time from the east shore of 
the isle, and well out of line w T ith the place into 
which the man-of-war had poured her shots. 
Again the bullet sped true to its mark, sever- 
ing the towing hawser as neatly as before. 
Again, and caught by a more powerful current, 
the frigate whirled towards the adjacent rocks. 

“ He’s alive ! He’s alive ! ” Tom declared, 
jumping around in his excitement. “He’s try- 
ing to ground the frigate on the reef ! And 
see ! He’s done it. There she strikes the sunk- 
en ledge. The tide is going out ; she will be 
held fast.” 

This was what had really happened, and en- 
raged by the catastrophe, the British comman- 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. Si 

der now issued an order for the islet to be 
showered with grape-shot, doubtless hoping in 
this way to destroy the man who had so auda- 
ciously attacked him. From one end to the other 
the rocky heap was swept by the galling fire. 
To the watching lads it did not seem as though 
any living object, even though no larger than 
a mouse, could have escaped the rain of bullets. 

They were now confident the brave fellow 
ensconced there must have perished. 

At length, his anger appeased, the captain 
ordered the guns to cease, and began prepara- 
tions for warping his stranded vessel olf the 
sunken reef, if that were possible. The boat 
already out was directed to pick up the severed 
ropes, and then to sound on all sides of the 
frigate for the shortest route into deep water. 
This was found to be almost directly off the 
bow, so the great anchor was carried a hundred 
yards to the south and thrown overboard. Then 
the windlass was manned with a dozen stout 
tars, and the work-of drawing in the cable 
began. 

The slack of the rope came in ; the cord be- 


38 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


came as rigid as steel ; the sailors put all their 
strength on the capstan bars, and yet the vessel 
did not move. 

Fresh men, the heaviest and strongest of the 
crew, were now put to the task, and with a tre- 
mendous jerk they started the frigate a few 
inches. 

u Once more, lads, heave ! ” shouted the officer 
in charge of the gang as he felt the ship stir. 

They responded with a will and this time the 
craft moved several feet. 

u She’s coming ! Heave again, my hearties ! ” 
cried the subaltern. 

But before the sailors could obey, the report 
of a musket rang out on the islet for the third 
time, and the next instant the taut rope parted 
with a suddenness that tumbled the tars into a 
heap on the deck, and sent the loosened end 
whizzing and whirling three hundred feet out 
to sea. 

“ Hurrah ! Hurrah ! ” the two lads exclaimed 
as loud as they dared, while Tom continued : 

“ That settles it. Before the frigate can re- 
cover her anchor and stretch another cable the 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


39 


water will be too low for her to get off the ledge 
until another tide. We may as well go and 
tell Captain Lewis. He can continue his voy- 
age without fear of being followed for eight or 
ten hours at least.” 

“ Yes,” assented Sam, u but let us wait a 
moment and see what the redcoats are going to 
do next.” 

Tom readily assented, and both boys, gazing 
off towards the vessel, saw that additional yawls 
were being lowered. Into these, and the one 
already launched, there filed a moment later a 
half hundred marines, heavily armed. Then 
the commander of the frigate, standing near the 
rail, gave his last command to the officer in 
charge of the squad, who w T as about to descend 
into the waiting boat. 

“ Turn over every rock, Mr. Fanning ; scour 
every crevice; and don’t return without the 
culprit hiding there. When you bring him 
we’ll string him up to the nearest yard-arm.” 

“ They are going to search the islet. The 
man cannot escape now ” Sam announced in an 
excited whisper. 


40 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“Yes, and with a force of fifty to one,” Tom 
commented, scornfully. “ Brave, aren’t they ? 
I declare I wish we had guns, we’d go down 
there and fight for the brave fellow.” 

“ He’s still able to take care of himself. 
Look there ! ” cried Sam. 

His exclamation was called forth by a fourth 
shot from the island, and scarcely were the 
words out of his mouth when Lieutenant Fan- 
ning, who was half-way down the side of the 
frigate, let go his hold on the ropes and fell 
into the sea. 

A step behind the lads at this instant so 
startled them, they made no comment on the 
fate of the officer, but turned to see who the 
intruder was. A sigh of relief escaped them as 
they caught sight of the familiar face of Cap- 
tain Lewis, who abruptly asked : 

u What’s all the firin’ for ? ” 

Quickly Tom explained, adding : 

“ That last shot from the rocks hit the British 
lieutenant ; they are just taking his body out 
of the water.” 

“ Then ye can make up yer mind that feller 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


41 


will make good his escape,” remarked the Cap- 
tain. “He knew that shot would delay the 
Britishers till he could get ’way.” 

“I don’t see anything of him,” Sam said, 
glancing down at the narrow strip of water 
which separated the islet from the main shore. 

“ P’rhaps not, but they won’t find him,” the 
skipper stoutly asserted, as the boats with a 
new officer in command now left the ship’s 
side. 

It was but a short pull to the rocks, and they 
were soon swarming with redcoats. For some 
minutes the search went on ; stones were over- 
turned ; holes were explored ; and the little 
shrubbery the cannon balls had not cut down 
was pulled up by the roots. Then a shout 
went up. 

“ They’ve found him ! ” exclaimed Tom re- 
gretfully. 

“ No, they ain’t,” replied the officer ; “ it’s 
only his boat, that the shot knocked to pieces,” 
— a statement which was verified a minute later 
when the searchers began to toss the bits of 
wood back and forth between them. 


42 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ How has he escaped, then ? ” asked Sam. 

“ By takin’ to the water,” explained the Cap- 
tain. 

“What, in this cold weather?” the boy 
questioned, incredulously. 

“It’s better than bein’ took by the Brit- 
ishers,” commented the skipper drily. 

“ A case where a cold reception was prefer- 
able to a warm one,” suggested Tom, face- 
tiously. 

“ Come ’long, an’ I’ll prove to ye that he’s 
escaped,” said Captain Lewis suddenly, as he 
walked off down the point. 

Beaching a place in direct line with the rocky 
islet he stopped, and waited for the lads to join 
him. 

“ What ’d I tell ye ? ” he exclaimed, pointing 
to some foot-tracks in the snow, and which led 
from the east shore towards the west side of the 
island. 

“ Do ye see those other spots followin’ ’long 
on both sides of the boot marks ? ” he continued. 
“They were made by the drippin’s from his 
clothes. It’s as I told ye, he took to the water. 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


43 


We’ll find him somewhere down this way,” and 
he started along the trail. 

As they went on Tom remembered that the 
sudden appearance of Captain Lewis had not 
been accounted for, and so inquired: 

“ How came you down here, Captain ? ” 

“ I heerd the guns ’fore I got up to the cove 
where I was goin’, an’ wonderin’ what was up 
I came back to the bay where ye landed. I had 
no boat, but found a place where the water was 
deep ’nough for the Polly to run close in to the 
rocks, an’ by gettin’ out on the bowsprit I 
leaped ashore. Then I took your track, an’ 
came over where ye was.” 

“ The Polly is in the little bay waiting for 
us, then ?” Sam queried. 

il Yes, I told the mate to hold on, as we all 
might want to board the sloop at short notice.” 

“ We can take this man over there, then, and 
give him dry clothing,” suggested the kind- 
hearted boy. 

“If he needs it, sartinly,” assented the 
officer. 

The trail now led them down a sharp decline 


44 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


to the head of a cove, so small and so shut in 
with the forest, it would easily have escaped the 
notice of one unfamiliar with the locality, and 
here, anchored a few rods off shore, was a small 
shallop. 

The footsteps led straight down to the 
water’s edge, and it was evident the man they 
were following had waded out to the boat. 

“ Shallop ahoy ! ” shouted Captain Lewis in 
loud tones when he and his companions had 
reached the beach. 

For answer a head was first thrust out of the 
tiny cabin, and then half of the form of a par- 
tially dressed man appeared. 

“ Hello on shore ! ” he answered ; and then 
he inquired : “ Are you the captain of the 
sloop which an hour or two ago ran into the 
river ? ” 

“Yes,” responded Captain Lewis, “an’ we 
want to thank ye for strandin’ that frigate, an’ 
ask ye if we can help ye in any way ? ” 

“Perhaps so,” the stranger returned. 
“Where’s your sloop? And where are you 
going ? ” 


A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 


45 


“ Round in the next bay, an’ we are bound 
from Machias to Salem,” was the double answer. 

“ Oh ! ho ! glad to make your acquaintance, 
Captain Lewis,” was the immediate response ; 
“ and yours, too, Master Foster and Master Ly- 
man. I’d ask you all to come on board, but 
I don’t suppose you care to wade out here as I 
did. Never mind, as soon as I’m dressed I’ll 
run the shallop over against that ledge on your 
left, and you can get in here with me, and go 
around to your own sloop.” 

With these words he disappeared into his 
cabin, and wondering who the fellow was, and 
how he knew them, the trio went slowly along 
to the place he had suggested as most suitable 
for boarding his craft. 


CHAPTER III. 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 

In a short time the occupant of the shallop 
reappeared, this time fully dressed, and, with 
the skill of one who was in every way familiar 
with the handling of boats, got the tiny craft 
under sail, and came over where Captain 
Lewis and the two lads were waiting for 
him. 

As he came near they saw that he was a 
young man, perhaps twenty -eight or thirty years 
old, of splendid proportions, and with a counte- 
nance which inspired confidence, and suggested 
resoluteness and courage. Without the inci- 
dents of the morning they would have been 
forced to admit he could meet danger, or carry 
out a daring enterprise, without flinching. His 
face showed it. 

Not until he had taken them on board, and 
46 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 47 

started out of the little cove, did he tell them 
who he was. Then he began his explanation 
by saying : 

“ I presume, Captain, you are wondering who 
I am, and how I came to know you and these 
lads?” 

“ I confess I’m a leetle curious ’long that line,” 
the officer admitted. 

u I am Nathaniel Fanning of Damiscove Is- 
land,” was the announcement. 

“ What ! not the son of my old shipmate, 
Thomas Fanning ? ” exclaimed Captain Lewis 
quickly. 

u Yes,” the younger man replied with a smile, 
“ and as soon as you said you were bound from 
Machias to Salem I knew who you were, for 
I’ve heard my father speak of you many times. 
As for these lads,” he continued, turning to- 
wards Tom and Sam, “ I suspected who they 
were, since I have a letter from Master John 
Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, 
which mentions them, and that they would, 
about December first, start for Philadelphia to 
enter the new navy. In fact, as I am also to 


48 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


have a berth in the same fleet, he advises me 
to make the journey to that city in their com- 
pany.” 

“ I wish you might be assigned to the same 
ship,” interrupted Tom impulsively. Then as 
though to explain his wish he went on : 

“ Sam and I were on the bluff above the 
rocky islet where you were hid. We saw the 
whole of your single-handed fight with the 
Glasgow , and wondered why you were not 
killed.” 

“It w T asn’t their fault,” responded Master 
Fanning laughingly. 

“ Tell us all about it,” put in Sam eagerly. 
“ How you came to be there, and what made 
you think of stranding the frigate, and how 
you escaped? And that makes me think — 
wasn’t that officer you shot named Fanning, 
too, the same as yourself ? That was funny, 
wasn’t it ? ” 

u He was my cousin,” the owner of the shal- 
lop announced with some show of bitterness. 
u I was there to shoot him — all else that occurred 
was but incidental. You will not understand, 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 


49 


however, without hearing the whole story, so I 
may as well tell it to you.” 

He was silent a moment as though deciding 
where to begin. Then he said : 

“ The British fleet which destroyed Falmouth 
last October raided our island, as you may know, 
carrying off cattle and sheep and hogs in large 
numbers. The most of that devastation was on 
the west side, however, so my father’s place, 
which is near the east coast, escaped. But a 
few days ago the Glasgow appeared right op- 
posite our farm, and Lieutenant Fanning, my 
cousin, was sent on shore with a squad of ma- 
rines, to destroy or carry off our property. He 
had been on the estate many a time in former 
years, and knew how and where to find every- 
thing of value. Making use of this knowledge 
he not only stripped us of what he could carry 
off, but put everything else into the buildings, 
and then burned them to the ground. 

“ I was away at the time, having gone over to 
the main shore in the shallop. On my return 
the following afternoon I found my aged parents 
dependent on others for shelter, for raiment, 
4 


50 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


and for food. I made such arrangements as I 
could for their temporal welfare during the re- 
maining winter months, and then set out along 
the coast in this boat searching for the frigate 
with the avowed purpose of taking my cousin’s 
life. 

“I got as far as Matinio Island when the 
head winds and threatening storm compelled me 
to put back. I made Pemaquid Point before 
dark, and under its lee found a haven for the 
night. Early this morning 1 discovered your 
sloop coming over from Monhegan, and after 
watching you awhile saw that the frigate was 
giving you chase. 

“ I knew what course I should take if in your 
place, and concluded the Glasgoiv would be en- 
ticed in close to Thumb Cap Point. Hoping to 
get a shot at my cousin, if he was on the deck 
of the vessel, I came over here, anchored my 
shallop in the little bay, and went around to the 
rocky islet in my skiff. 

“ I was hidden there when you went by, but 
the frigate was my game, and so I quietly waited. 
She soon came in sight around the opposite 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 


51 


point, and at first started up John’s Bay, 
making me think I was going to miss the very 
opportunity I had sought by having crossed 
over where I was. But soon she changed her 
course, and ran directly over to the island. 
When she lost her steering way, by getting 
under the lee of the cliffs, I saw I could strand 
her, and laid my plans to do so. The rest you 
know.” 

u But how did you escape the balls they show- 
ered on the islet ? ” persisted Sam. 

w In the first instance,” Master Fanning an- 
swered, “ by changing my position the moment 
I had fired. I got out of their range, and though 
covered with snow and sand suffered no harm. 
The second time I crawled back to the land side 
of the islet, and crept under a huge rock which 
so completely sheltered me I was not harmed, 
though the grape-shot fell thick and fast all 
around me. My skiff, however, was broken 
into a dozen pieces by the balls.” 

“ And you had to take to the water,” sug- 
gested Tom. 

“There was nothing else to do,” the young 


52 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


man declared ; “ so after firing the last time I, 
shielded by a boulder, dropped into the water 
unseen, and swam across to the adjacent shore. 
There the forest concealed me, and I hastened 
over here to put on dry clothing as soon as 
possible. Fortunately I had a good supply 
with me.” 

“ I wonder if they are still searching for 
you?” Sam here remarked. “You know the 
British captain told his men not to return 
without you.” 

“ If they obey that command I reckon ’ twill 
be some time ’fore they leave John’s Bay,” 
Captain Lewis declared drily. 

They were now entering the bay where the 
Polly was waiting for them, and were soon 
alongside of her. It took but a few minutes to 
acquaint the mate and men with the incidents 
of the last two hours, then the yawl the lads 
had left on the beach was recovered, after which 
the anchor of the sloop was weighed, and, with 
the shallop in tow, a course was taken for 
Damiscove Island. 

“I s’pose you want to stop thar,” Captain 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 53 

Lewis remarked to young Fanning after he had 
issued his order. 

u If you are willing, sir,” he responded. “ I 
wish to see my father and mother again, then 
I’ll go on to Salem with you. I need not delay 
you over an hour.” 

“ Since we should have been delayed ten 
times that but for your mornin’s work, Na- 
thaniel, I guess we’ll wait that long for ye,” the 
skipper answered. “ I don’t mind seein’ yer pa 
agin either. Mus’ now be nigh on to ten years 
since I met him.” 

So a short stop was made at the temporary 
home of Master Fanning’s parents, where the 
shallop was left ; and then the Polly , with the 
young man added to her list of passengers, 
began a voyage to Salem which was completed 
the following day. 

Before the vessel reached her destination the 
three travelers had agreed upon the next stage 
of their journey. Nathaniel Fanning had an 
older brother in the army besieging Boston. 

“ I want to visit him,” he said, “ and you, lads, 
better go along with me. It will give you an 


54 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


opportunity to see our brave men who are 
holding the British in the town, like rats in a 
hole, and we shall fight the better on the water 
by knowing what our land forces are doing.” 

“ We shall be glad to go,” the boys had re- 
sponded, u for it is not much out of our way. 
The stage route through Providence and New 
London to New York is the one we had thought 
of taking.” 

So it was settled, and early on the morning 
after the arrival of the sloop in port, the trio, 
with their baggage strapped to their backs, set 
out for Cambridge. 

It was a beautiful day for winter ; the walk- 
ing was good, for the snow-storm of three days 
before had not reached as far south as they now 
were ; the air was also clear and crisp, sending 
the rich blood pulsating through their veins 
with life and vigor; so they walked briskly 
along, reaching Medford about noon. 

In a sheltered nook, beside the Mystic River, 
they paused to eat the luncheon they had 
brought with them ; and then, crossing the 
stream, they took a road that led toward a 



“Lads, this is my brother, Captain Fanning,” said Nathaniel, 
introducing the boys. Page 55. Two Yankee Middies. 





- 

' 


4 

. 





AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 55 

high hill on whose top they could see a redoubt. 
Before they reached the elevation, however, 
there was a clatter of hoofs behind them, and in 
another moment they were overtaken by a body 
of horsemen. 

The leader, a stalwart fellow of perhaps 
thirty-five years, gave the travelers a quick 
glance, then, crying halt to his followers, he 
pulled up his own steed. Immediately leap- 
ing to the ground, he rushed towards young 
Fanning, exclaiming : 

“Nathaniel! My brother Nathaniel, if I’m 
alive ! ” 

u John ! brother John ! ” cried the other, and 
then they were locked in each other’s arms. 

After a hearty embrace the older man re- 
leased the younger, asking : 

“ How came you here, Nathaniel ? ” 

“ It’s quite a story,” replied his relative, “ and 
better wait until we are in camp. Let me in- 
troduce my companions. This is Tom Foster, 
and this is Sam Lyman, both of Machias. Lads, 
this is my brother, Captain Fanning.” 

M Glad to meet you,” the officer responded, 


56 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

and offering them his hand in return. Then 
looking over toward his men who had been 
silent witnesses of the interview, he inquired : 

“ Are three of you willing to surrender your 
horses for the use of these travelers, while you 
return to your quarters on foot ? ” 

Every man instantly dismounted, and prof- 
fered the use of his beast. With a flush of 
pride mantling his cheeks at the readiness of 
his troopers to obey his slightest wish, Captain 
Fanning said : 

“ Sorry I can’t accommodate every one of you, 
my good fellows, but as that is impossible, I’ll 
accept the offer of the three animals nearest my 
own.” 

Turning to his brother and friends, he added : 

“ Mount, please, and we’ll hurry along to my 
quarters, where you can rest after your long 
tramp.” 

He now walked over to his own horse, and 
lifted his hand. Every trooper, except the 
three who were to loan their steeds, leaped back 
into the saddle. He then followed their ex- 
ample, and, noting that Nathaniel and his com- 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 


57 


panions were already mounted, he led the caval- 
cade up the adjacent summit which he told his 
guests was called Winter Hill. 

On its top he again halted, and, directing 
their attention to the broad outlook before them, 
he remarked : 

“ Let me point out to you the situation of our 
troops. Directly in front of us is the left wing 
of our army, under General Lee. You notice 
the redoubts between us and Prospect Hill 
yonder. Beyond is Fort Number Three, and 
still farther away the redoubt on Willis Creek. 
Down there a little to our left, and on what is 
known as Charleston Neck, are Bunker and 
Breed Hills, where we had our great fight last 
June. I tell you that was a battle, and though 
we had to retreat in the end because we were 
out of powder and shot, we were not whipped. 

“ Off to the southwest is Cambridge, with 
General Washington’s headquarters just this side 
of the village. My own station is near there, as 
my regiment belongs to the main force. A 
little east of Cambridge, near Charles Biver, are 
Forts Number One and Two. Farther east are 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


68 

two gun batteries. Over there in Roxbury is 
our right wing under General Ward. You may 
notice that we have redoubts and batteries clear 
around to Dorchester Neck. The besieging line 
is unbroken, and no force of any size can get 
through. I won’t say no man can get through, 
for we have reason to believe that a spy named 
Barnard has been going back and forth for 
some time. I was sent out with my men to 
follow up a clue our commander thought he had 
of him, but it proved to be a wild-goose chase. 
The fellow hasn’t been seen in that locality for 
months.” 

As he ceased speaking he started up his 
horse, and, descending the hill, the little party 
after a smart canter of ten minutes arrived at 
the building where Captain Fanning, in connec- 
tion with the other officers of his regiment, had 
his quarters. Here they dismounted, and the 
Captain took his guests up to a large chamber 
on the second floor of the house, where they re- 
moved the luggage they were carrying, and 
washed off the dust and dirt which had accu- 
mulated during their long tramp and shorter ride. 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 59 

Then the Captain insisted on their partaking 
of a second dinner, which he ordered served in 
his own room, and after that Nathaniel related 
the main incidents connected with his journey 
from his island home, and the purpose he had 
in view. 

“ I might have known you would enlist in 
the navy,” his brother said when he had fin- 
ished. “ You have loved the sea ever since you 
were big enough to toddle down to its shore. 
But there will be just; as good a chance for you 
to strike a heavy blow for our beloved cause on 
the ocean as on the land. May we hear brave 
things of you and these lads who are to accom- 
pany you. We’ll now take a look around the 
camp.” 

For the rest of the afternoon, therefore, they 
strolled among the fortifications and barracks, 
getting some idea of how the brave soldiers 
were living, and of the duties they had to per- 
form. Once they had a glimpse of the Com- 
mander-in-chief himself, as he, attended by some 
of his staff, returned to his headquarters from a 
ride among the redoubts. 


60 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


The boys were especially delighted with the 
sight, brief though it was, of the general whose 
name and fame were soon to be known the 
world over, and who was to be loved as few 
men have been loved by a grateful people. 

“ To see him was worth our tramp from Salem 
here,” Tom declared, gazing after the officer 
until he had disappeared into the house where 
he had his quarters. 

“Yes,” assented Sam, “ we shall be proud of 
the fact whenever we hear of his driving out 
the redcoats.” But neither lad had any idea 
then that they, before they left the camp, should 
have the privilege of meeting and conversing 
with General Washington. 

For an hour longer they continued their in- 
spection, .and then returned to the house for 
supper, which they ate in the mess hall with 
all the officers who were quartered in the same 
building as Captain Fanning. After it was 
eaten that gentleman said to the lads : 

“ There are so many of us in this house, I 
shall have to ask you to accept of a lodging 
room in another building.” 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. d 

“ Oil ! don’t put yourself out for us, sir,” they 
answered ; u we can stow in anywhere.” 

“ I shall not ask you to go far,” the Captain 
continued. “Nathaniel can of course share my 
room, and I have found a place for you at 
Jerry Brown’s, a quarter of a mile down the 
road. He’s a sort of huckster and sutler com- 
bined, and sometimes takes in lodgers. You 
are to have a room down there, but will come 
up here to breakfast with us.” 

So after tattoo they went down to Master 
Brown’s — a large, square, two-story dwelling, 
standing back a little ways from the highway. 
The owner came to the door w T hen they 
knocked, and, upon their telling him that Cap- 
tain Fanning had sent them down there for 
the night, he nodded as though the whole 
matter was understood, and then showed them 
to a corner room on the second floor, where he 
told them they were to sleep. 

Before he retired Tom for some unaccount- 
able reason made an examination of the cham- 
ber. He noted that it was in the southwest 
corner of the building ; that there was a window 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


62 

on both the south and west sides ; that at the 
east end was the door into the hallway ; and 
that on the north there was a second door, 
tightly closed. 

Going over to this the boy tried the latch ; it 
raised, and the door readily opened, revealing 
a long, narrow closet, whose farther partition 
was of boards instead of plaster. There was a 
row of nails driven into the boarding, evidently 
to hang clothing upon, and there the boys hung 
their own garments when they had removed 
them, leaving the door of the wardrobe wide 
open. 

Tired from the long walk of the day they, 
after getting into bed, quickly fell asleep, and 
slept for some time. Then Tom awoke with a 
start. He was sure some one had knocked on 
his door. Nor was he mistaken. Again there 
came three low taps, like a prearranged signal. 
He was about to ask who was there, when he 
heard a low voice, apparently at the foot of 
the stairs, saying : 

“ Hush ! not that door, but the next one 
down the corridor.” 


AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 63 

“ Oh ! ” was the guarded reply of the person 
without, and then he could be heard moving 
cautiously along the hall. 

His tap at the door of the north chamber 
was distinctly audible to the listening boy. A 
moment later some one in the room answered, 
though what he said was in too low a tone for 
Tom to understand. Then a flicker of light 
shone through a small crevice in the broad 
partition of the closet. 

For a minute the lad watched that ray of 
light, an irresistible feeling coming over him 
that he ought to investigate its source. The 
conviction deepened, and leaping softly to the 
floor, he tiptoed into the wardrobe. He now 
saw that the light came through a split in one 
of the boards into which a nail had been driven. 
Putting his eye close up to the tiny crack, he 
discovered there was another closet on the other 
side the counterpart of his own, the door of 
which was also ajar. 

This gave him a view into the other cham- 
ber. On a table, near the center of the room, a 
candle was burning. Beyond the table was the 


64 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


bed, near which a small, slender, almost boyish 
looking man was hastily dressing. When his 
boots, trousers, and waistcoat were on, he went 
over to the door, and let his caller in. 

At first the newcomer was out of the line of 
vision of the watching boy, and, but for what 
he now heard, Tom would probably have gone 
back to bed, and allowed the men to hold their 
interview unobserved by himself. But the 
visitor on entering the room exclaimed : 

“ I am here at last, Barnard.” 

While Barnard replied : 

“ I’m glad of it, Major Jordan. Have you 
the papers ? ” 

“ Yes,” acknowledged the other. 

Now Barnard was the name of the spy Cap- 
tain Fanning had been searching for ; and 
Major Jordan was the name of one of the offi- 
cers with whom Tom had eaten supper. It 
might, therefore, be worth while to wait and 
see what the men had to do with each other. 

All this flashed through the boy’s brain in- 
stantly, and he remained there with his eye 
glued to the crevice. 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 

In a moment the two men came slowly along 
to th table, and Tom was able to see them dis- 
tinctly. He recognized Major Jordan, and in 
another instant was equally sure that his com- 
panion was indeed the noted spy. For the offi- 
cer, taking a bundle of papers from the inside 
pocket of his coat, and laying them down on 
the table, remarked : 

“ Fanning was out looking for you this morn- 
ing, Barnard.’’ 

“I know it. Jerry told me. Well, he didn’t 
find me, did he ? Ought to have looked nearer 
home,” and there was a low chuckle of delight. 

“ No,” assented the other ; “ but after I have 
explained these drawings to you, you better 
start for the town. Something might happen 
to give away your hiding-place, and I don’t want 

you to be found with the papers in your hands.” 

5 65 


66 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ It might be bad for both of us,” admitted 
Barnard, u and I’ll be off before morning. Go 
ahead with your explanations.” 

Tom did not wait to hear any more. He had 
already formed a plan for capturing the plotters, 
and knew it must be carried out promptly to be 
a success. Stepping back into the room, he 
awoke Sam. 

“ Hush ! ” he said in a whisper, “ I’ve some- 
thing to tell you,” and then he quickly told his 
comrade what he had discovered. Then he 
added : 

“ Dress yourself, and keep watch over the men 
in there, while I go for help.” 

Two minutes later he was dressed, and softly 
opening the window on the south side of the 
house, because that was farthest away from the 
conspirators, he looked out. The way seemed 
clear. The distance to the ground was not 
over ten feet, and he decided to make the 
leap. 

Before he could do so, however, Sara was at 
his side with the sheets of the bed knotted to- 
gether. 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 67 

u I’ll let you down,” he said in a low tone. 
“ It will be surer, and you’ll make less noise.” 

Tom nodded, and grasped one end of the im- 
provised rope ; then he swung himself clear of 
the window, and was silently lowered to the 
ground. The next minute he disappeared in 
the darkness. 

But he had no trouble in finding his way to 
the house where Captain Fanning was quartered. 
In five minutes he was there, to find, however, a 
guard at the door. He had not thought of this, 
and was at first puzzled how to get by the sen- 
tinel. When, however, the man asked him who 
he was and what he wanted, he recognized him 
as one of the three troopers who had given up 
their horses earlier in the day. 

“ I am the lad who rode your horse this morn- 
ing,” he explained hastily, “ and have come from 
Jerry Brown’s with an important message for 
Captain Fanning.” 

The soldier looked him over, and then said : 

“ So you are, go ahead,” and with a sigh of re- 
lief Tom darted by him and up the stairway. 

To rouse the officer was a little more difficult 


68 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES 


task, for both he and his brother were sleeping 
heavily, but it was finally done, and to him and 
Nathaniel the boy told of his discovery. 

“ We have no time to lose,” the Captain de- 
clared. “ Fortunately there are men enough 
right here to make the capture. I will join you 
in a minute.” 

While listening to the boy’s tale he had 
dressed himself, and now, buckling on his sword 
and pistols, he left the room. He was gone but 
a moment or two, returning with the Colonel of 
the regiment, and two orderlies. 

“We have decided to keep this movement 
among ourselves,” he explained ; “ with Natha- 
niel and the two boys there will be seven of us, 
surely enough to capture two men.” 

He and the Colonel now led the way down 
the stairs, followed in turn by the orderlies, and 
young Fanning and Tom. Two abreast they 
walked rapidly down the street, and it was hot 
fifteen minutes from the time the lad had made 
his discovery when they halted under the win- 
dow of his chamber. A low whistle brought 
Sam to the opening, and he again let down the 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 69 

knotted sheet. Noiselessly Tom ascended, and 
then he and Sam exerted their strength, first to 
pull the Captain, and then the Colonel, up to 
the room. When they were within the house, 
Nathaniel Fanning by pre-arrangement, went 
around to the window of the north chamber to 
keep guard there, while the two orderlies took 
their stations to watch the outer doors against 
the escape of Master Brown. 

Waiting until each man was in his assigned 
place the two officers accompanied by the two 
lads went out into the corridor, and along to the 
door of Master Barnard’s room. Throwing 
themselves suddenly against it, they burst it 
open, and sprang into the chamber. 

Major Jordan was near the door, apparently 
about to take his departure, and at the sight of 
his brother officers meekly surrendered. But 
the spy, already dressed for his trip through 
the army lines, leaped to the nearest window, 
threw it up, and jumped out. He landed on the 
frozen ground below with a force which caused 
him to lose his balance and tumble over, and 
before he could recover his feet, Nathaniel Fan- 


70 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ning was upon him and effected his capture. 
The commotion brought Master Brown up the 
stairs to see what was going on, and he was also 
arrested. So were the three conspirators taken. 

On the person of Barnard was found a pack- 
age of papers giving many important details of 
the besieging army, and a set of maps covering 
the entire line of fortifications. These were in 
the hand of Major Jordan, proving that he was 
in the service of the British. 

“ This is a fine piece of work,” Colonel 
Thompson declared, when he had finished his 
examination of the documents, “ and due prin- 
cipally to you two lads. I shall take pleasure 
in reporting that fact to the Commander-in-chief. 
You must also go back to our quarters with us. 
This is now no place for you.” 

So Tom and Sam went back to the other 
building, where they were given the room for- 
merly occupied by the captured Major. On 
coming down to breakfast the following morn- 
ing, they found that tbe tidings of their night’s 
work had preceded them, and that they were 
already the lions of the quarters. They bore 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. fl 

the congratulations which poured in upon them 
modestly, however, and showed no special ela- 
tion when, later in the day, they were summoned 
to an interview with General Washington. 
Still they would hardly have been human had 
there not been some secret exultation in their 
hearts as they accompanied the orderly back to 
the Commander’s headquarters. 

They entered the presence of the General 
alone. He arose to greet them as they came in, 
saying pleasantly : 

“ Master Thomas Foster and Master Samuel 
Lyman, I believe ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” they answered. 

“Well, which is Tom and which is Sam?” 
he asked with a twinkle in his eye. 

At once put at their ease, the boys made known 
their identity, and then the officer continued : 

“ Sit down, lads, and tell me all about your 
adventure of last night. I find there is nothing 
like hearing a story from the lips of those who 
know the most about it.” 

Thus encouraged Tom, as spokesman, related 
the incidents which had culminated in the cap- 


72 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ture of the three prisoners. W ashington listened 
attentively, and, when he was done, said : 

“ It was fortunate for our cause that we had 
two clear heads and resolute hearts down at 
Master Brown’s last evening. Many an older 
person would not have done so well. Permit 
me to thank you for the service rendered us. 
I desire also to say if you care to change your 
plans I will see that both of you have warrants 
as sergeants in the army.” 

The cheeks of both lads flushed with pleasure 
at this offer of the great commander, but they 
replied decisively : 

a Thank you, sir, but we’d rather enter the 
navy.” 

“ I anticipated such a reply,” the General re* 
sponded with a smile. “ Therefore I am going 
to ask a favor of you. Will you take tWo 
letters to Philadelphia for me ? ” 

“ Certainly, sir,” they answered simultane- 
ously. 

“ Here they are,” he went on, opening a 
drawer in the table and taking out two sealed 
packages. “ One is for Master John Hancock, 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 73 

the President of Congress; and the other is 
for a Master Paul Jones, a Virginian like my- 
self, but who is now stopping in Philadelphia. 
I think Master Hancock can tell you where he 
resides. Please see that the messages are de- 
livered only to the persons to whom they are 
addressed.” 

“ No one else shall have them, sir,” the lads 
promised, and each, taking a letter, placed it 
within the pocket of his coat. Then the inter- 
view ended. 

On the following morning in company with 
Nathaniel Fanning they went out to Brighton, 
where they took the stage for Providence, arriv- 
ing there late that evening without mishap. 
The next day they made a shorter journey, 
stopping over night at the tavern in Hopkinton. 
The third day’s travel brought them to New 
London, where they were delayed two days by 
a storm and by the Sabbath. This gave them 
an opportunity, however, to visit the forts on 
both sides of the Thames river, which in later 
months were to be the scene of a most heroic 
struggle against fearful odds. 


74 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Resuming their journey on Monday morning 
they traveled by easy stages through Saybrook 
and New Haven to New York, where they were 
again delaj^ed for nearly three days, or until the 
next trip of the weekly stage to Philadelphia. 
They did not, therefore, reach their destination 
until Wednesday evening, December 20th. 

The next morning they made an early call 
upon Master John Hancock for the double 
purpose of reporting their own arrival, and de- 
livering the letter General Washington had sent. 
The President of Congress received them cordi- 
ally, and, laying the message of the Commander- 
in-chief of the army one side, with the declara- 
tion that it would wait awhile before it received 
his attention, he asked them of their journey as 
though that was of chief concern. Finding they 
had spent a day and a half with the army at 
Cambridge he, turning to Nathaniel Fanning, 
inquired : 

a What is your opinion of the siege General 
Washington is maintaining?” 

“That it is so effective the British will be 
obliged to evacuate Boston before a great while, 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 75 

sir,” young Fanning replied. “ In fact, as soon as 
cannon can be placed on Dorchester Heights 
both the British army and the British fleet will 
be at the mercy of our commander-in-chief, and 
General Howe will have to give up the town.” 

“ I am glad to hear you say that,” Master 
Hancock responded. “ It coincides with my 
own view of the situation, and I expect to 
hear of the enemy’s departure before April 
first.” * 

Then addressing the lads as well as their 
companion he went on : 

“You have arrived here just in time. To- 
morrow our committee on naval affairs will 
offer a resolution creating a Colonial Navy. It 
will be adopted without dissent. The bill pro- 
vides for four ships, all of w r hich have been 
selected, and commissions a complete set of 
officers. In the list your names will appear, 
Master Fanning having the rank of a third 
lieutenant, and Masters Foster and Lyman the 
rank of midshipmen, so in a little more than 

* As a fact the British evacuated Boston March 17th, 1776, 
or two weeks earlier than Master Hancock here predicted. 


76 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


twenty-four hours we shall have a naval squad- 
ron, and you will be full-fledged naval officials. 
Shall I congratulate you ? ” 

“ We are the ones to thank you, sir,” Nathaniel 
Fanning answered earnestly, and speaking for 
himself and his comrades, after which they all 
arose to depart. Before bidding their kind 
friend good morning, however, Tom asked : 

“ Could you tell us, sir, where to find a 
gentleman named Paul Jones, he comes from 
Virginia, I think, but is now stopping some- 
where in town ? ” 

“Most assuredly I can,” Master Hancock 
replied. “ You will find him at the house of 
Mistress Elizabeth Ross on Arch Street.” 
Then he added banteringly : 

“ How quick you fellows of the navy are to 
look each other up.” 

“ Is he a naval officer ? ” the lad asked in 
surprise. 

“He will be — the senior lieutenant of the 
fleet — and we expect to hear good things from 
him. I’m glad you are to meet him before to- 
morrow. Possibly you will be assigned to the 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 77 

same vessel, though that is not fully determined. 
Good morning.” 

“ Good morning, sir,” the trio responded, and 
left the house in search of Lieutenant Jones. 

Fortunately they found him in, and, merely 
explaining they were from Cambridge, handed 
him the package General Washington had given 
them. 

“ Sit down, while I read it,” he said courte- 
ously. “ Possibly I shall wish to ask you about 
my friend’s welfare.” 

They complied with his request, while he, 
breaking the seal of the wrapper, took out a 
closely written manuscript, which he proceeded 
to peruse. 

His face changed rapidly with the reading. 
First there came a look of surprise, which 
speedily gave place to one of great interest, and 
then in turn became one of intense enthusiasm. 
Tossing the missive one side, he came over to 
his callers, asking abruptly : 

“ Which of you is Nathaniel Fanning, and 
which Thomas Foster, and which Samuel Ly- 
man 1 ” 


78 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


They told him. 

“ Do you know what is in that letter ? ” he 
next inquired. 

“ No, sir,” Tom answered. “ It was given to 
us sealed, with only a request that we deliver it 
to you.” 

“ You are to enter the navy,” he now said, 
more as the statement of a fact, than of asking a 
question. 

“ We have just come from the presence of 
Master John Hancock, who has assured us we 
are to have our commissions to-morrow,” the lad 
replied. 

“ Well, let me tell you my friend Washington 
has written me of a little incident which took 
place at the house of one Jerry Brown in Cam- 
bridge on the night of December fourth, of the 
stranding of a British frigate in John’s Bay two 
days before, and of the capture of the sloop 
Margaretta off Machias last June. He declares 
these events prove that you, young men, are the 
kind of timber I need for my ship. I agree 
with him. The Alfred , lying off the Chestnut 
Street wharf, is to be my vessel, and in the ab- 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. ft) 

sence of Captain Dudley Saltonstall, who is to 
be her commander, I am to take charge of her. 
I shall see that all three of you are given berths 
with me. You will hear from me later in the 
day. Where are you stopping ? ” 

They informed him, and then went back to 
their boarding place. That evening he called 
upon them, announcing : 

“ I have seen the naval committee, also Mas- 
ter Hancock, and it is arranged. You are to be 
assigned to my ship. Send your baggage down 
to her in the morning, and then meet me at the 
State House* at ten o’clock, for immediately 
after the passage of the resolution creating a 
Colonial Navy, Congress is going to adjourn, 
and proceed in a body down to the Alfred , 
where her pennant will be broken out, and she 
will be placed in commission. I desire all of 
my officers to be with me.” 

At the hour designated the trio approached 
the State House steps, where they were met by 
Lieutenant Jones, and, entering the hall with 
him, they were interested spectators of the Con- 

* Now known as Independence Hall, 


80 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


gressional proceedings which made the four 
stanch ships, The Alfred, The Columbus, The 
Cabot, and Ihe Andrea Doria, a Continental 
fleet, and which commissioned themselves, along 
with a score of others, officers in the new navy. 

It was nearly noon when this work had been 
completed, and the chairman of the committee 
on naval affairs had requested the adjournment 
of the august body “ long enough to render its 
enactment an accomplished fact.” 

Then two abreast, headed by President Han- 
cock and Lieutenant Jones, and followed by a 
squad of newly constituted officials, Congress 
went down Chestnut Street to the river, where 
a half dozen yawls were waiting to receive it. 
Embarking in the boats the entire party was 
rowed out to the ship, which was anchored 
in mid-stream. Mounting to her deck they 
gathered about the mainmast, where John Han- 
cock, in loud but dignified tones, said : 

u Lieutenant Paul Jones, as the senior officer 
of the Continental Navy here present, I direct 
you to take temporary command of the ship 
Alfred, and to break out her pennant.” 


THE BREAKING OF THE PENNANT. 81 

“ I accept that command, sir,” Lieutenant 
Jones replied with no less dignity, “ and proceed 
to obey your order.” 

As he spoke a sailor handed him a roll of 
bunting, to which hoisting ropes were already 
attached. With his own hands the officer ran 
the roll up to the mast-head, and then with a 
quick jerk broke the binding cords. The next 
instant, caught in the stiff breeze, the flag un- 
furled, revealing thirteen alternate stripes of red 
and white with a rattlesnake undulating diag- 
onally across them, while beneath the reptile 
was the motto : “ Don’t tread on me.” * 

As the pennant floated out above the heads 

* The authorities differ as to the flag Lieutenant Jones at 
this time unfurled. Some say it was the “ Pine Tree ” flag — 
that is, a white flag embellished with a green tree, and bearing 
the words : “ An Appeal to Heaven.” Others declare it was a 
yellow silk flag, with a Pine Tree and a coiled rattlesnake at 
the center, and underneath the motto as given above. But a 
portrait of Commodore Hopkins, commander of the fleet, pub- 
lished by Thomas Hart, London, in August 1776, represents 
him holding in his hand the flag I have described. Good au- 
thorities also affirm this was the flag used at the time the 
Alfred was put in commission. Without attempting to settle 
the controversy I have followed these authorities, regarding 
their statement as reliable as any. 

6 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


of the assembled men, they gave three rousing 
cheers, and the ceremony was over. The good 
ship Alfred was in commission. The Colonial 
Navy was a fact. 


CHAPTER V. 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 

On the day the Alfred went into commission 
not one of her sister ships was ready for sea. 
They were still undergoing the alterations neces- 
sary to change them from merchantmen to ves- 
sels of war. Their crews were yet to be enlisted, 
and few if any of their officers had arrived. 

Nor had the Alfred completed her own com- 
plement of men. For some days after the un- 
furling of her pennant, therefore, Lieutenant 
Jones and his subalterns were busy rating the 
recruits who came pouring on board. 

When her full quota was reached, there came 
the added work of training the newcomers in 
the handling of the guns, in the use of small 
arms, and in the furling and unfurling of the 
sails. Here Lieutenant Jones proved to be an 
adept, his familiarity with armed vessels, and 


84 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the command of numerous crews, having fur- 
nished him with all the information essential to 
the management and discipline of a man-of-war, 
and within a few weeks he transformed his raw 
recruits into expert man-of-war’s men. 

As the days passed young Fanning and his 
comrades rejoiced more and more at the good 
fortune which had placed them not only in the 
flagship of the little squadron, but under a man 
who was so clearly the ablest executive officer 
in the whole fleet. His frank, open way with 
his men, his courteous treatment of his subal- 
terns, soon made him exceedingly popular among 
the entire crew * — a popularity which Captain 
Saltonstall and Commodore Hopkins when they 
came on board in no way lessened. 

Quick to recognize true merit also, the senior 
lieutenant soon showed his appreciation of the 
abilities and faithfulness of the three young 
officers who had come to him from Maine ; and 

* This statement differs from that given by some authorities, 
but is substantiated by this fact : Some of his men of their 
own choice went with him from the Alfred to the Providence , 
from the Providence to the Ranger , and from the Ranger to 
the Bon Homme Richard . 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 85 

long before the squadron was ready for sea a 
personal attachment between himself and his 
younger colleagues developed that was destined 
to furnish them with opportunities for service 
which otherwise might have fallen to the lot of 
older men. 

One by one the other vessels of the fleet went 
into commission, and dropped anchor near the 
flagship. Nearly two months had elapsed, how- 
ever, before the last one was ready, and the 
signal was run up to the peak of the Alfred for 
the squadron to get under weigh. 

It was a bitter cold day in February, 1776. 
The river was full of floating ice; the wind 
blew strong from the southeast ; heavy clouds 
were overcasting the sky ; a storm seemed im- 
minent. Still the crews of the four ships hailed 
the signal with delight. Tired of their moorings 
they thought even the encounter of a gale at sea 
preferable to remaining longer cooped up in the 
river, and obeyed the commands of their of- 
ficers with an alacrity which soon put the vessels 
under a cloud of canvas. 

They made a pretty sight as they tacked 


86 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


down by Windmill Island. The Alfred was the 
first to leave her anchorage, but the Andrea 
I)oria followed close, while the Cabot and 
Columbus disputed with each other for the 
third place. A great crowd on the wharves 
cheered the frigates as they departed, and the 
sailors, unchecked by their commanders, returned 
the cheers lustily. 

But the voyage proved of short duration, for 
on reaching Reedy Island a signal went up for 
the fleet to anchor under its lee for the night — 
an order which proved to be a grave mistake. 
For before morning the wind had shifted into the 
northwest, driving huge quantities of ice down 
around the anchored ships, which the intense 
cold froze into a solid mass, holding them fast. 

“ Here we are stuck fast in the ice, and 
likely to remain here the rest of the winter,” 
Midshipman Foster remarked to Lieutenant 
Fanning as they, later in the day, paced the 
quarter-deck together. 

u It will hold us for some time, I admit,” the 
Lieutenant responded with a slight laugh, and, 
lowering his voice, he went on ; ■ 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 37 

“ It has turned out just as Lieutenant Jones 
said it would. I heard him tell Commodore 
Hopkins last night that we should be caught in 
here. He declared the gale was going to blow 
over, the wind shift into the northwest, and the 
ice drive in around us. He wanted to keep on 
down the river, and find an anchorage, if we 
made one, nearer the open sea. Perhaps after 
we have been in here a week, the Commodore 
will think he was right.” 

Whatever reply the younger officer might 
have made was prevented by the sudden ap- 
pearance of Captain Saltonstall on the deck 
accompanied by Lieutenant Jones. 

“ If we try it at once,” the latter was saying, 
u we may be successful ; but every hour’s delay 
makes the probability of that success less cer- 
tain, as the ice is constantly increasing in 
strength.” 

“ How would you do it ? ” questioned the 
commander looking off over the ice-floe. 

“I would use powder to blow up the ice 
ahead of us until we reached open water,” 
Lieutenant Jones explained, “and then the 


88 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


other vessels, breaking their way down to our 
track in a similar manner could follow us out.” 

“ But it will take a great deal of powder,” 
objected the Captain. 

“ Which we can make up by capturing the 
first British man-of-war we run in with,” was 
the Lieutenant’s blunt reply. 

“ I will take the matter under consideration,” 
Captain Saltonstall remarked stiffly, “ but your 
scheme seems to me very impracticable.” 

He returned to the cabin leaving his execu- 
tive officer to brood over his last words in evi- 
dent impatience, for he walked back and forth 
across the deck with constantly quickening 
strides, until his eye fell on the junior lieuten- 
ant and his companion. Then he called them 
to his side. 

“ Lieutenant Fanning,” he said when they 
had joined him, “ suppose I should direct you 
and Midshipman Foster to take a squad of men 
and a keg of powder and break a way out to 
the open sea, what would you do ? ” 

“We should obey orders, sir,” was the 
prompt reply. 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 89 

“ Yes, but how would you carry them out ? ” 
queried Lieutenant Jones, smilingly. 

Young Fanning glanced off over the ice field, 
thinking intently. He understood why his 
superior officer was asking these questions. 
The Captain had declared that the Lieutenant’s 
proposition was impracticable, and he wished 
to ascertain what another — a man as resolute 
and determined as himself — thought about the 
matter. The sympathy of the junior officer 
was with his questioner, but he did not intend 
to allow that to bias his judgment. Was the 
plan of Lieutenant Jones feasible ? If ordered 
to carry it out, and left to his own judgment, 
how would he go to work? As he queried 
with himself his eye fell upon the nearest route 
to the open water, and instantly his decision 
was made. 

“ I should send Midshipman Foster on ahead 
with the men to drill two rows of holes in the 
ice a dozen or fifteen feet apart, telling them to 
take care to go well down into but not quite 
through the mass. Then I should follow them 
up, loading the holes myself to make sure the 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


90 

charges were shielded from all dampness, and 
were furnished with fuses of sufficient length 
so that I could explode a number of them at 
the same moment. In that way the force of 
one charge would supplement the next, and so 
a continuous channel would be broken out to the 
sea.” 

U I wish I might give you the order,” re- 
sponded the officer approvingly, “ but I shall not 
have the privilege. "We are in here to stay for 
many a day, unless Nature is kind enough to 
open a way for us.” 

He was right. A week passed, and still the 
fleet was held in the firm grip of the frost king. 
Then the temperature, which had been hover- 
ing around the zero point, moderated, awaking 
hopes that the usual February thaw was at 
hand, and an escape would soon be granted the 
imprisoned squadron. 

On the morning of this day Midshipman Fos- 
ter was called into the cabin of the Commodore, 
who handed him a small package, saying : 

“Take this message to the Naval Committee 
at Philadelphia. When you have their answer 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 91 

return as promptly as possible, for we shall 
hope to get out of this ice within the next 
twenty-four hours.’ 7 

“ Yes, sir,” the young officer replied, saluting, 
and hastening away to his own quarters with a 
wish in his heart that he had been given more 
explicit directions about his journey. Before 
reaching his mess-room, however, he had de- 
cided upon his course of action. 

Leaving the ship, he made his way on the ice 
to the shore, which he reached in safety. 
Thence he went across the fields to the nearest 
farmhouse. As he approached it a man came 
out from the barn, to whom he said : 

“ Good morning, sir.” 

“ Good mornin’,” the farmer replied, looking 
his visitor over from head to foot, suspiciously. 
Then he added : “ Be ye from the ships off thar 
in the ice ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” Tom admitted, and then he made 
known the purpose of his call. “ I’m going to 
Philadelphia. Have you a horse I could hire 
for the trip ? ” 

“What’ll ye give ?” inquired the man, with 


92 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the air of one who recognized his opportunity 
to make a good bargain, and intended to use it. 

“Five shillings,” replied the lad, naming a 
low price because he had detected the mercenary 
spirit of his interlocutor. 

K I reckon ye better make it ten, an’ pay 
down the cash ’fore ye start,” returned the set- 
tler doggedly. 

u But I shall be back by nightfall,” the young 
officer protested. 

u Likely,” the man retorted coolly, “ but ye 
won’t be back near as quick if ye have to hoof 
it.” 

“ There are other horses in this neighborhood 
besides yours,” Tom responded, convinced that 
the man’s love of money was stronger than his 
desire to serve the cause. “I can go else- 
where.” 

To his surprise the fellow instantly became 
affable. 

“Ye can have the horse for five shillin’s an’ 
pay when ye come back, he declared ; an’ ye 
won’t find a better one in this region, if I do 
say it.” 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 


93 


With these words he re-entered the barn, 
into which the boy followed him. He was pre- 
pared, too, to accept the farmer’s words, when he 
a moment later led out of the stall a fine bay 
mare, evidently as swift as she was intelligent. 
Quickly saddling the animal he remarked : 

“ Thar, ye can mount her an’ ride clear to the 
town without her breakin’ her lope. Ye’ll find 
her, too, as kind as she is speedy, an’ll wish 
’fore ye get back that ye own’d her, if ye be 
a sailor.” 

Leading the mare out of the stable, Tom 
sprang into the saddle, saying enthusiastically : 

“ I almost wish that now, for she’s as fine a 
beast as I ever rode. You shall have your ten 
shillings when I come back.” 

“ I’ll have more’n that, if ye’ve got it,” mut- 
tered the fellow under his breath as the lad 
rode away. “ I reckon ye’ll have a message for 
the commander of that fleet, which he’ll never 
see, sure as my name is Joseph Lamphear,” and 
he gave a low chuckle of satisfaction. 

Without a thought of the danger awaiting 
him Tom rode rapidly up the rough road in the 


94 : 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


direction of Philadelphia. Occasionally inquir- 
ing his way he reached the town before noon, 
and at once put the message he carried into the 
hands of the Chairman of the Naval Committee. 
Then he went around to the nearest inn, where 
he secured entertainment for himself and the 
faithful animal he rode. 

It was four o’clock before the reply of the 
Committee was ready. Meanwhile the temper- 
ature had steadily risen, clouds had overcast 
the sky, the wind had shifted into the north- 
east, and a heavy fog, amounting almost to 
a fine rain, had settled down over land and 
river. 

“ It’s going to be a nasty night,” Tom solilo- 
quized as he rode out of town at a quick trot, 
u and this wind, blowing from where it does, 
will break up the ice-pack about the ships in a 
short time. I hope, however, it will hold to- 
gether until I’m safe on board the Alfred .” 

He urged on his beast at as rapid a pace as 
the rough going would permit, realizing that 
unless he did the short afternoon would come to 
a close before he could reach the farm opposite 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 


95 


the fleet’s anchorage, and he would be obliged 
to make his trip over the ice in the darkness — 
a rather precarious undertaking. 

To add to his discomfort the mist soon changed 
to a decided downpour, while the wind con- 
stantly increased in force. It grew dark also 
very rapidly, and notwithstanding the speed he 
made night had come before he reached Master 
Lamphear’s. 

A light in the kitchen enabled him to distin- 
guish the dwelling from the other buildings, and 
riding up to the door he knocked without dis- 
mounting. Instantly the door was thrown open 
by the stalwart farmer himself, who said with a 
heartiness that was cheering : 

“ Here ye be. I’ve ben lookin’ for ye this 
hour. Jump right off, an’ come in, while we 
settle. Bill ’ll take the beast.” 

As he spoke a young negro came out of the 
house, and took the mare by the bit. Swinging 
down from the saddle, Tom stepped through 
the doorway, saying : 

“ I must not delay, sir. Every moment makes 
it less likely for me to be able to cross over the 


96 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ice to my ship. Here are the ten shillings I 
promised you.” 

“ I shall take but five,” Master Lamphear re- 
sponded, handing back half of the silver pieces 
the lad had dropped into his palm. Then he 
said : 

“ Ye can’t get off to the fleet afoot. I was 
down by the shore ’fore dark, an’ found the ice 
already broke up.” 

Having no reason to doubt this statement, the 
young officer asked : 

“ What shall I do, then? I must get off to 
the ship immediately. The fleet cannot sail 
without the message I bear.” 

At these words a cunning look came into the 
man’s eyes — a look his visitor did not notice, 
for he was giving full attention to the offer of 
assistance which was now made him. 

“ Wait till ye have put on dry clothin’ an’ 
had supper with me ; then Bill an’ me’ll take 
the skiff an’ set ye ’board yer craft.” 

“ Very well,” the unsuspicious boy replied, 
“ only let us hurry about it.” 

He now followed his host across the kitchen 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 97 

to a door, which the latter threw open, say- 
ing: 

“Step right in this bedroom. Ye’ll find 
everythin’ ready for ye.” 

The candle the man carried in his hand sent 
a feeble ray into what seemed to be a sleeping 
apartment, and, expecting Master Lamphear to 
follow him with the light, the lad without hesi- 
tation stepped along into the room. The next 
instant the door was slammed to and bolted 
while the farmer’s mocking voice outside called 
out: 

“ Make yerself comf ’table, ye rebel. Y e won’t 
see any vessel to-night.” 

The taunting words let a flood of light into 
the astonished officer’s mind. He now con- 
cluded that his host was a Tory, and his sudden 
affableness had merely been to entrap him. 
Provoked at himself for being so easily duped, 
he groped about his apartment trying to get 
some idea of his surroundings. 

The inspection was not a long one, for the 
room, though of considerable size, proved to be 
destitute of all furniture but a bed. There was 
7 


98 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


a single window at the farther end, but this had 
been boarded up on the outside. It was clear 
the farmer had spent a portion of the day in 
preparing the room for the reception of his 
prisoner. 

Feeling his way back to the bed Tom sat 
down upon it to think the situation over. That 
the object of his jailor was to secure the mes- 
sage he bore he did not doubt, and, though 
ignorant himself of its contents, he was aware 
it might be of too serious import to allow it to 
fall into the hands of an enemy. Should he 
then destroy it ? 

Believing this the wiser thing to do, he arose 
and stepped noiselessly along to the side of the 
room opposite the window. He was in search 
of a fireplace, where he could burn the paper, 
for he had a pocket flint and steel. 

He found the chimney, took out the fire-board, 
and was about to remove the package from the 
inside of his coat, when an idea came to him. 
Why could he not escape by the chimney ? 

He felt of its proportions. It was a huge af- 
fair, and had an aperture more than large enough 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 99 

to receive his body. It was also roughly built, 
and its irregular sides would afford him a foot- 
ing. He determined to try it. 

Crawling inside he slowly began his grimy 
climb. Step by step he mounted upward, some- 
what stilled by the current of smoke which 
came from the kitchen lire, yet determined to 
effect his escape or suffocate. As he got nearer 
the top of the passage the air became fresher, 
and he finished the ascent in a better condition 
than he had anticipated. 

On reaching the top he crawled out on the 
roof, and peered about him trying to get some 
idea of the best way to descend to the ground. 
An unexpected circumstance helped him. Bill, 
the negro, left the stable, and came towards the 
house with a lantern in his hand. The dim 
light showed that one side of the roof — that 
opposite the one the servant was approaching 
— ran down within six feet of the ground. So 
down this the escaping lad slid, and, making a 
quick leap when he reached its lower edge, 
gained the ground in safety. The next minute 
he had disappeared in the darkness. 


ioo 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


He had no difficulty in finding the shore, 
where he found the ice, though covered with 
water to the depth of several inches, still strong 
enough to bear him. Stepping down upon it, 
therefore, he proceeded slowly and cautiously 
out towards the place where the dim lights told 
him he would find the waiting ships. 

He had not gone far when he stepped into 
an open place, and went down into the cold 
water. Fortunately there was no great depth, 
and he was able to clamber out upon the firm 
ice again ; but it was a warning of what he 
might find ahead of him at any moment, and he 
proceeded with greater caution. 

This care saved him from a repetition of his 
first mishap, until he had got near enough to 
distinguish the Alfred from her sister ships by 
her lights. Then he stepped upon what seemed 
to be a firm piece of ice, to have it suddenly 
break under his weight, and precipitate him 
into water of great depth. Down, down he 
went until he was sure he would never come 
up. Then he began to rise, and a moment later 
came out of the hole where he had gone down. 


A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING. 101 

Catching his breath, he swam to the nearest ice 
and attempted to crawl out, but it broke under 
his grasp. Again and again he repeated the at- 
tempt, only to fail, and all the while he was be- 
coming chilled by the icy liquid that covered 
him. At length, realizing he must have assist- 
ance, or he should drown, he sent up the pierc- 
ing cry : 

“Help! Help!” 




CHAPTER VI. 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 

There were two on board the Alfred who, 
as the night shut down over the imprisoned 
ship, grew anxious over Tom’s prolonged ab- 
sence. They were Lieutenant Fanning and Mid- 
shipman Lyman. 

They knew that under the united forces of 
wind and rain it could not be long before the 
ice between the vessel and the shore would be- 
come unsafe for the pedestrian ; and yet they 
also knew whatever the hour their friend arrived 
opposite the island, he would make the attempt 
to cross over to the frigate. They agreed to- 
gether, therefore, that, whichever one of them 
happened to be on deck, he should keep a sharp 
lookout for the coming lad, and be in readiness 
to give him prompt assistance, if he stood in 
need of it. 


102 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 103 

It proved to be Sam’s watch when Tom, hav- 
ing exhausted his own strength in his effort to 
extricate himself from the icy w^ater, sent forth 
his cry for help. His very first shout in fact 
reached his listening comrade’s ear, and led to 
some rapid action on his part. By previous 
arrangement with Lieutenant Seabury — the 
officer in charge of the deck at that time — the 
young midshipman had the small yawl ready 
for instant launching in case the emergency 
arose ; and now, before the second call of the 
exhausted lad came, he gave the order for the 
boat to be lowered down upon the ice. 

It was quickly done, then six stout sailors, 
three on each side, grasped its gunwales and be- 
gan to push it out towards the spot from which 
the cries for help came, following their officer, 
who, with a lighted lantern in one hand and a 
coil of rope in the other, ran on ahead. 

It took but two or three minutes to reach the 
place, where Tom, holding himself up by a grip 
on the ice which, though not strong enough to 
bear his whole weight, was sufficient for this 
purpose, awaited their coming. 


104 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Look out, Sam,” he called out faintly as he 
recognized his rescuer ; “ you better not come 
too near. Throw me the rope, I guess I can 
fasten it about me, and you can pull me out.” 

Stopping abruptly, for the rotten ice was al- 
ready bending beneath his own feet, Sam threw 
the cord out over the head of his unfortunate 
friend, who grasped it with his benumbed hands 
and endeavored to pass it about his body. He 
could not do it, however, nor could he again 
clutch the ice by which he had heretofore held 
his head above the water. Only his hold on 
the line kept him from going down, and this 
was growing feebler every moment. 

Taking in the situation instantly, Midshipman 
Lyman turned to his men, who were waiting at 
a safe distance behind him. 

“One of you push the yawl out here,” he 
said. 

Jack Green, the lightest weight among them, 
obeyed. As the craft reached his side the offi- 
cer added : 

“ Get a firm foothold, Jack, back there a few 
feet, then I will pass you this line, which you 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 105 

are to hold taut until you have further orders 
from me.” 

When these arrangements were completed, he 
leaped into the boat. Under his added weight 
it broke through the ice, but it was what he 
had expected. Seizing an oar he made his way 
through the thin barrier in front of him, and in 
another minute was beside his chilled and ex- 
hausted comrade. 

It was a hard task to pull the almost uncon- 
scious lad up and over the side of the skiff, but 
he succeeded in doing it. Laying him gently 
down in the bottom of the yawl, he took the 
rope from between his stiffened fingers, and at- 
tached it to the painter. 

“ Pull in,” he called out to the sailor at the 
other end ; then he gave his whole attention to 
his rescued companion. 

Taking a heavy blanket out from under the 
rear thwart he threw it over the drenched form 
of his friend to protect him from the chilly air ; 
then he bent over him chafing his cold cheeks 
and forehead, saying soothingly : 

“ We’ll soon have you where we can give you 


106 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


good care, old fellow. The men are pulling us 
in, and will run us quickly over to the ship’s 
side.” 

As he spoke they reached the firm ice, and 
while the sailors were raising the yawl out upon 
it, the light of the lantern shone full upon Tom’s 
face. It was so deathly white Sam could not 
help shuddering, yet he knew his comrade was 
still sensible to his surroundings for his eyes 
gazed fondly up into his own, and on his lips 
there hovered a faint trace of a smile. It was 
the best he could do to tell his rescuer that he 
appreciated the service which had been rendered 
him, and knew that he would be taken to the 
vessel as quickly as possible. 

When the boat was again on the solid floe 
the stout tars, without waiting for their officer 
to step out if he had a mind to, caught hold of 
its sides, and, with a hearty shout of “ all to- 
gether, lads,” ran the light craft rapidly over to 
the Alfred . 

Then the young midshipman was lifted up to 
her deck, and carried down to his own cabin, 
where the ship’s doctor speedily took him in 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 


107 


hand. As his wet clothing was stripped off, it 
was noticed that he had no waistcoat on, and a 
little surprise was felt when this was found in- 
side his shirt all wadded up and tied with his 
handkerchief. But it was dropped on the floor 
with the other garments, and for the time es- 
caped further notice. 

When the wet and icy clothes had been re- 
moved the cold body of the lad was rubbed 
until he was all aglow, and warm blankets were 
wrapped about him. Then a hot drink was put 
to his mouth, and he was told to drain the bowl 
— a command he promptly obeyed, and with 
every swallow new life seemed to infuse his 
veins. 

Lieutenant Jones, who had remained with the 
surgeon during his ministrations, assisting him 
with a skill scarcely inferior to his own, now 
called to the steward, saying : 

“ Here, Scipio, take Midshipman Foster’s gar- 
ments into the galley and have them dried and 
pressed.” 

As the negro bent over to pick up the wet 
clothing, which ever since its removal had been 


108 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


lying on the floor of the cabin, Tom suddenly 
sat up in his berth, exclaiming excitedly : 

“Wait a moment, Lieutenant Jones ! See if 
there isn’t a package inside my shirt, wrapped 
up in my waistcoat. I put it there when it 
began to rain. It is the message of the Naval 
Committee. I hope it has not been seriously 
injured by the water.” 

The clothes were overhauled, and the bundle 
found. Over and over again had the thick 
waistcoat been folded about the letter, and then 
tied tightly down with the boy’s handkerchief. 

Anxiously Tom watched the unwrapping and 
fell back into his berth with a sigh of relief 
when he found the moisture had not penetrated 
the package enough to dampen the wrapper of 
the document. As for Lieutenant Jones, who 
had turned over the other garments in his search 
for the waistcoat, he stood there for a moment 
looking first at the uninjured message, and then 
at his own hands which were grimed with a 
dark substance which resembled soot. Finally 
he re-examined the young officer’s outer clothing, 
and then, turning toward the lad, who was 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 109 

watching him from his blankets with a flushed 
face, he asked : 

“ What is this stuff all over your coat and 
trousers, Midshipman Foster? It looks like 
lamp-black.” 

“ I’m sorry, sir, but it is chimney soot,” con- 
fessed Tom, going on to tell of his adventure 
with the Tory farmer without reserve. 

The lieutenant listened attentively to the 
story, and when it was finished he bent impul- 
sively over the berth and kissed the cheek of 
his subaltern, saying almost reverently : 

u I know a hero when I see one, and you 
have been one to-night. The Commodore shall 
be told of this,” and then he went off to deliver 
the message to the commander of the fleet. 

He must have told the story eloquently to 
Commodore Hopkins, for that usually cold and 
impassive officer was stirred enough to say : 

“I declare, Midshipman Foster has consider- 
able stuff in him for a boy. Send him to me 
as soon as he is able to come. I wish to thank 
him in person for his fidelity.” 

At dawn it was found that the great ice floe 


110 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

was broken, and once more the signal was run 
up to the peak of the flag-ship for the fleet to 
get under weigh. So it happened that when 
Tom was again well enough to go on deck the 
vessels had rounded Cape Henlopen* and were 
standing straight out to sea. 

Soon, however, that course was changed for 
a more southerly one, and two days later the 
squadron was under fairer skies and in a warmer 
climate. 

“ I believe we are going to cruise among the 
West Indies,” Tom remarked gleefully, on the 
evening of the second day as he and Sam stood 
together amidships. 

“ That means we are to pick up the British 
ships trading in those waters,” his comrade sug- 
gested. 

“ I do not see why we need be particular 
about that,” young Foster retorted. “We 
ought to be strong enough to whip anything 
we meet, from a British sloop to a British fleet.” 

“We might run in with the Glasgow for in- 
stance,” Midshipman Lyman said whimsically. 
“ She would do to begin on.” 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. m 

“ I bet she would flee from us if we did,” 
answered Tom, stoutly. “If Lieutenant Fan- 
ning could cope with her single-handed and come 
off best, we ought to so frighten her she would 
sink out of sight.” 

His last remark was made because of Lieu- 
tenant Fanning’s approach, who caught enough 
of it to reply jocosely : 

“If one Yankee can strand a British frigate 
of twenty-four guns, then eight hundred can 
put the whole British navy to flight. That’s 
an easy problem, as anybody with Yankee 
blood in them can see.” 

Then he continued even more banteringly : 

“ What great scheme are you hatching up 
now, lads? You have had more of adventure, 
both of you, since we left Philadelphia, than all 
the rest of the crew. Isn’t that enough to 
satisfy you, or do you want some venturesome 
incident every day ? ” 

“We might manage to get along with one 
adventure each day, Lieutenant Fanning, pro- 
vided it were a hazardous one,” Midshipman 
Foster retorted in the same spirit. Then he 


112 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


explained what he and his companion had been 
talking about. 

u I do not think any one but the Commodore 
knows just where w~e are going, or what is the 
special object of this cruise,” the lieutenant 
replied. u But I think we will attempt to 
capture anything we see flying the English 
flag.” 

His surmise was a correct one, for early the 
next morning two British sloops were discovered 
not over two miles away, and a signal was im- 
mediately hoisted for the Andrea Doria which 
was the fastest sailer of the fleet, to give chase 
to the more distant one, while the Alfred her- 
self ran down to intercept the other. 

There was not over a half-mile difference in 
the distance of the Britishers, however, so it 
happened, when they, after a vain effort to get 
away, hove to at the sound of the guns of the 
pursuing ships, that the boats of the Andrea 
Doria and of the Alfred , which were to go 
over and take possession of them, touched the 
water at precisely the same instant. 

Noticing this Lieutenant Fanning, who was 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 113 

in charge of the yawl from the flag-ship, said to 
Midshipman Foster who sat beside him: 

“We must reach and capture our vessel 
before the other crew does the one they are 
after. Then we shall have the honor of securing 
the first prize of the cruise.” 

u Of course we must,” assented his subaltern 
enthusiastically, and at a nod from the lieuten- 
ant he gave the necessary order to the men : 

“Pull away, lads ! We must beat the boat 
of the Andrea Doria , and reach our sloop first. 
Pull ! ” 

“ Aye ! aye ! sir,” the sailors responded, and, 
catching the enthusiasm of their officers, they 
bent their backs to the oars with a will, send- 
ing the light craft through the water at a ter- 
rific speed. 

But evidently a similar determination had 
taken possession of the occupants of the other 
yawl, for at the same moment they also made a 
tremendous spurt, and dashed on towards the 
vessel for which they were bound at a rate as 
swift as that taken by the first boat. 

It was nearly an equal race, for the yawls 


114 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


were of the same length, and manned by pre- 
cisely the same number of rowers, and, so far 
as the eye could estimate, had about the same 
distance to go. 

Nor was this all. The impromptu race had 
already attracted the attention of the two in- 
terested ships, and their crews, crowding the 
railings, or clambering into the rigging, watched 
the contest, every now and then giving vent to 
their cheers as they imagined the boat they 
favored was displaying any vantage over its 
opponent. 

But there was really no difference in the time 
made by the racing crafts. At the same mo- 
ment they dashed up to their respective vessels ; 
at the same instant their officers mounted the 
decks of the Britishers, and demanded their 
surrender. But there was a difference in the 
setting of the signals which announced that the 
captures had been made. A full minute before 
the commander of the Andrea JDoria prize crew 
ran up the announcement that he had taken the 
Hiram Holmes , a British sloop loaded with 
sugar and molasses, Lieutenant Fanning flung 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 


115 


out the flags showing he was in possession of 
the British coaster, the Laughing Betty , loaded 
with West India products, and bound, like her 
consort, for Halifax. This gain of a minute, as it 
afterwards proved, was due to the skill of Mid- 
shipman Foster as a signal officer, and so to him 
more than to any other one person belonged 
the honor of giving the flag-ship the first prize 
of the cruise. 

“ I wonder if we shall be sent back to Phila- 
delphia with her,” Tom remarked to Lieutenant 
Fanning after the inventory of the Laughing 
Betty's cargo had been completed, and he was 
about to go back to the Alfred with the report. 

“ I hope not,” replied the lieutenant. “ I’d 
rather remain with the fleet.” 

“ So had I,” assented the lad, “ but the sloop 
is too fine a one to sink or burn.” 

“The Commodore may decide not to do 
either,” responded young Fanning. 

“What then?” questioned the subaltern in 
some surprise. 

“ Give her a strong crew, and have her ac- 
company the squadron,” answered his compan- 


116 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ion ; and this was the course taken with both 
of the captured vessels. 

Their captains and mates — on the ground 
that they were the only ones who could prop- 
erly navigate the sloops, and so the only ones 
who would be likely to make trouble — were 
sent on board the flag-ship. Then to their 
regular crews were added a strong force of 
Yankee tars ; a bow gun was mounted on each ; 
the Continental flag was run up to their peak ; 
and so, rechristened to the service of the 
Colonies, they were ordered to follow in the 
wake of the frigates. 

Lieutenant Fanning was made commander of 
the sloop he had captured, with Midshipman 
Foster as his first officer — an arrangement very 
satisfactory to both save in one particular : it 
separated them for a time at least from their 
comrade, Midshipman Lyman. 

Augmented from four to six vessels the fleet 
spread out into a semicircle with a radius of 
three or four miles, and thus not only made an 
imposing appearance, but suggested its purpose 
—that of sweeping the seas. 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. 


117 

Towards evening of the day following the 
capture of the sloops one of the original crew 
of the Laughing Betty — an old salt who had 
gone about his duties under the new flag with 
apparent zest — approached Tom, who was in 
charge of the deck, and touching his cap re- 
spectfully, asked : 

“ May I have a word with you, sir ? ” 

“ Certainly,” the young officer replied pleas- 
antly. 

“ I notice they call you Foster, sir — Midship- 
man Foster ; may I ask where ye hail from ? ” 

“ Machias, the province of Maine,” * answered 
the lad, wondering why the question was 
asked. 

“ I thought so,” continued the sailor ; “ be ye 
any relative of Benjamin Foster ? ” 

“ He is my uncle,” responded Tom, with still 
greater surprise. “ My father is W orden F oster, 
the village blacksmith.” 

“ That’s where I’ve see ye,” the old man went 
on musingly. “A few years ago I was in Ma- 

* At this time Maine was a province under the jurisdiction 
of Massachusetts. 


118 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

chias. Was sent thar to be one of the crew of 
a new vessel. She wasn’t launched ’til arter I 
got thar, an’ ’mong the crowd on her deck when 
she slid into the water was a little shaver named 
Foster. He got too near the rail an’ toppled 
overboard. Thinkin’ he’d drown, I leaped arter 
him, but, lor’ ! he could swim like a fish, an’ 
seein’ me arter him he streaked it for the shore 
like liglitnin’. Beat me by as much as two 
rods, an’ when I crawled out was a laughin’ an’ 
wringin’ the water out of his clothes as though 
goin’ in swimmin’ with his garments on was an 
everyday ’musement.” 

Laughing heartily the midshipman put out 
his hand, saying : 

“ I suppose I was that c little shaver,’ Master 
Hewes. When I saw your name on the sloop’s 
roll, I had no idea it was any one I had ever 
seen before. I am glad to meet you.” 

The old sailor, evidently greatly pleased at 
his reception, took the proffered hand, shaking 
it heartily. Then he asked, sweeping his hand 
around to encircle the fleet : 

“Ain’t this a new wrinkle l ” 


VALUABLE INFORMATION. H9 

“ The squadron ? ” queried the officer. “ Oh, 
yes. But it will not be long before the ocean 
will be covered with just such crafts. The Col- 
onies mean business now 7 .” 

“I reckon they do,” the man returned, “an’ 
from this time ye can count Dave Hewes with 
them. But where are ye bound ? ” 

w I do not know,” responded Tom, hardly 
knowing wffiether to reprimand the old sailor for 
his familiarity or to let it pass. 

“ I’ll tell ye why I asked,” v 7 ent on the old 
salt eagerly, but lowering his voice. “Why 
don’t ye go down to New Providence, an’ cap- 
ture the forts thar ? The two garrisons have only 
’bout a hundred men, an’ thar’s quantities of 
guns, an’ small arms, an’ ammunition, an’ provi- 
sions thar. ’T would be a great haul for ye.” 

“ Come and talk it over with Lieutenant Fan- 
ning,” responded Midshipman Foster quickly, 
for he was impressed with the fact that the 
sailor had given him information of great value. 

Master Hewes willingly complied with this 
request, and during the interview gave a de- 
scription of the location of the two forts, an 


120 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


account of their armament, and also assured his 
hearers that he could take the fleet into the har- 
bor by day or by night. 

When these items had been written out, the 
Laughing Betty ran down close to the Alfred 
and signaled that she wished to communicate 
with her. 

The flag-ship immediately hove to, and ran 
up an order for a boat to be sent over to her. 
So Tom, with what he regarded as an important 
document in his pocket, entered the sloop’s yawl 
and gave his men the command to pull away. 


CHAPTER VII. 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL KUSE. 

As Tom mounted the deck of the flag-ship he 
was met by Lieutenant Jones, who, after greet- 
ing him warmly, conducted him across the deck 
to the place where both Commodore Hopkins 
and Captain Saltonstall were standing. Salut- 
ing these officers in turn, the midshipman handed 
the former the missive he bore, simply saying : 

“ Here is a communication from Lieutenant 
Fanning, sir, and I am to await your reply.” 

“ Very well, I will keep you no longer than 
really necessary,” the commander of the fleet re- 
sponded pleasantly, taking the letter, and going 
into his cabin. 

For a few minutes the lad remained where he 
was, conversing with the captain and lieutenant, 
and answering their questions about the Laugh- 
ing Betty and her crew. But they were too 
polite to make any inquiries about the special 


122 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


matter which had led the sloop to communicate 
with the Alfred ' and the young subaltern did 
not regard himself at liberty to allude to it. 

At length Captain Saltonstall remarked : 

“ I presume you would be glad to visit the 
officers of your old mess, Midshipman Foster, 
and you may do so. I will send for you when 
Commodore Hopkins has his answer ready.” 

“ Thank you, sir,” Tom replied in delight, and 
hastening away to find Sam. 

He did not have a long search ; for his chum 
— though down below at the time of his arrival 
— had now learned of his visit, and was on the 
lookout for him. They met at the companion 
way leading down into the mess-room, and, de- 
scending to their old quarters, they were soon 
talking earnestly together. 

In some detail the visitor told of his life on 
board the prize, concluding: 

“ It w’ould be line if we could only have you 
along with us, Sam.” 

The latter shook his head. 

“ I do not believe I care to be with you,” he 
said. 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 


123 


“ Why not ? ” questioned his comrade in com- 
plete surprise. 

“ If we sight other merchantmen, you fellows 
will have nothing to do with chasing them up,” 
he explained, “and should we run in with a 
man-of-war, you would not be in the fight. No, 
I guess I’ll stay here and take my chances.” 

“ I hadn’t thought of that,” admitted Tom 
dolefully. “It does rather put us on a back 
shelf, doesn’t it ? ” 

Then he thought of the message which he had 
brought to the Commodore, and wondered, if it 
were acted on, whether the crews of the cap- 
tured sloops would have any part in the attack 
on the forts. With the large forces in the four 
frigates it did not look as though their services 
would be required, and, for the first time since 
he was assigned to the Laughing Betty , he felt 
dissatisfied with his position. Clearly should 
there be a fight on either the land or the sea, 
Sam would be more likely to participate in it 
than he, and he almost envied him his oppor- 
tunity. Before he could make his thoughts 
known, however, one of the negro stewards came 


124 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

to tell him the commander wished to see him. 
Bidding his friend a hearty good-by, therefore, 
he went aft to the Commodore’s cabin. 

That officer was alone when he entered, and 
as the lad stood before him, cap in hand, he 
asked : 

“ Do you know the contents of this communi- 
cation, Midshipman Foster ? ” and he pushed 
across the table towards him the document he 
had brought from Lieutenant Fanning. 

“ Yes, sir,” the boy replied ; “I was present 
when Master Hewes told his story.” 

“Well, you may read that,” the Commodore 
added, pushing a second paper towards him. 

The subaltern, picking it up, saw that it was 
a message from the Naval Committee of Congress 
— the one he had himself brought from Philadel- 
phia the night before the sailing of the squadron 
as the date showed — and, with more than usual 
interest on that account, he read it. It was 
brief, and contained the final sailing orders to 
Commodore Hopkins, directing him to proceed 
as expeditiously as possible to the island of New 
Providence, in the Bahamas, and seize the guns 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 


125 


and large stores of ammunition and provisions 
known to be held there.* 

“ So that is where we are bound,” he ex- 
claimed when we had perused the letter, “and 
the information I have brought is of no import- 
ance.” 

“ Say not so, Master Foster,” the Commodore 
answered kindly. “ It is of especial importance 
to have with us a man who is acquainted with 
the island — with its harbor, and with the loca- 
tion of the forts. To-morrow morning I shall 
call the captains of the fleet to a conference, and 
here is an order to Lieutenant Fanning to bring 
Master Hewes with him when he comes to the 
council. Furthermore I desire to thank you 
for your quick apprehension of the value of the 
sailor’s disclosure. Had we been ignorant of 
the situation at New Providence the information 
given you would have been of unusual value ; 
and as it is it may enable us to capture both garri- 

* Some authorities say Commodore Hopkins sailed from 
Philadelphia with orders to capture New Providence, others 
declare he obtained his information of the forts from a sailor 
on the captured sloop. I have accepted both statements as 
not inconsistent with each other. 


126 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


sods without the loss of a single man,” and he 
bowed his head in intimation that the interview 
was ended. 

Tom returned to his boat, and went back to 
the sloop, pondering over the last sentence of 
the Commodore. When in the cabin of the 
Laughing Betty with Lieutenant Fanning, he, 
with that freedom which was always allowed 
between himself and his friend when they were 
alone, told of his interview with the commander 
of the fleet, and repeated his last words, ask- 
ing: 

“What do you suppose he meant by that, 
Nathaniel ? ” 

The lieutenant smiled. 

“ It is not given me to read the mind of Com- 
modore Hopkins,” he said, “ but I should judge 
he meant this : That, now we have with us a 
man who can pilot the ships into the harbor by 
day or by night, we can make use of strategy 
and capture the place without danger to the 
vessels or their crews.” 

“ But why need we do that ? ” exclaimed the 
midshipman impetuously. u Surely we are 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 


127 


strong enough to bombard the forts, land our 
marines, and sweep the hundred men off into 
the sea.” 

“ You overlook the fact that they have more 
cannon than our whole fleet carries, and can do 
a little shooting themselves before we get into 
the harbor, or land our men,” Lieutenant Fan- 
ning responded. “ It might be that one or more 
of our ships would be sunk before we got near 
enough to them to 1 sweep them into the sea,’ as 
you suggest. Certainly if I were in command of 
the squadron I should seek to achieve the object 
for which I was sent with as little damage to my 
ships, and as small a loss of my men as possible ; 
and I take it that is all the Commodore meant 
by what he said.” 

“Yes,” assented his companion, “but what- 
ever plan he decides on it don’t look as though 
you and I, off here in this little sloop, would be 
given any part in the affair. Sam stands a good 
deal better chance of being assigned to the work 
than we do.” 

“ Oh ! that is where the boot pinches, is it ? ” 
Master Fanning answered with a laugh. “ You 


128 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


want to be in the fray ? That is commendable, 
of course, but we must always remember, Tom, 
that we are not all the fleet, nor all of its crew. 
I presume many of our comrades envied us when 
we were sent to take possession of this sloop, 
and then placed in command of her. Now we 
must, if in the wisdom of those who are in com- 
mand it seems best, step to the rear, and give 
others a chance. It is their right, and we should 
be magnanimous enough to rejoice at their good 
fortune as they have at ours.” 

“I know we must,” Tom returned with a 
sigh, “but nevertheless I cannot help wishing 
something may happen so we can participate in 
the coming attack. I should like ” 

“ To be the first one over the parapet into the 
fort,” broke in the lieutenant, finishing his sen- 
tence for him, “which proves you have the 
right spirit in you, even if you are not given the 
opportunity to prove it,” and there the conver- 
sation closed. 

But the lad was rejoiced to hear his friend 
say when he returned from the conference of 
the fleet captains the next morning : 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 129 

“Well, Tom, we are in it,” though he offered 
no further explanation of his words. 

That some plan of action had been decided 
upon was evident, however, the moment the 
squadron resumed its voyage. For the vessels, 
instead of spreading out in a crescent shape as 
they had done prior to the council, now took 
the form of an inverted V, the flag-ship occupy- 
ing the position of advance at the point, while 
the captured sloops brought up the rear, one at 
each end of the diverging lines. 

The course sailed was a direct one for New 
Providence Island, and early the next morning a 
signal went up from the Alfred that it had been 
sighted by the lookout on her foremast. 

At this announcement, as though prearranged, 
the Cabot and the Hiram Holmes ran down to 
the Andrea l)oria , while the Columbus and the 
Laughing Betty came up under the lee of the 
flag-ship. The moment this was done the whole 
fleet obtained an inkling of the ruse which was 
to be employed in securing possession of the 
British forts. 

The bow guns on the two sloops were taken 

9 


130 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


aft, and covered. Fifty men from the Alfred, 
and fifty from the Columbus, were immediately 
sent over to the Laughing Betty, while the 
Andrea Doria and the Cabot each furnished 
a similar number for the Hiram Holmes . Thus a 
hundred men, in addition to their working crews, 
were put on board of each prize vessel. These 
men were, however, promptly concealed between 
the decks, where they were to remain until the 
hour arrived for landing and attacking the gar- 
risons. 

When this transfer had been completed, 
Lieutenant Jones was put in command of both 
vessels with orders to proceed into the harbor 
of the island as though the sloops were only 
harmless traders. In this way it was hoped 
not only to allay all suspicion on the part of the 
British that an enemy was near, but to secure an 
anchorage sufficiently near the beach to permit 
of the disembarking of the two hundred sailors 
under the cover of the following night. Then, 
as the next morning dawned, a sudden attack 
was to be made upon the forts, which it was 
believed, taken by surprise and unprepared for 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 131 

the hand to hand engagement, would quickly 
surrender. When the garrisons were captured, 
three guns at intervals of a minute were to be 
fired, and the four frigates, which until then 
were to remain hove to out of sight of the island, 
were to approach. 

The ruse seemed a feasible one, and, with 
high hopes of success, the sloops about noon 
left the squadron, and sailed directly for the 
harbor. The Laughing Betty , piloted by 
David Hewes, took the lead, while the Hiram 
Holmes followed, though not close enough to 
suggest they were acting together. 

All went well until the leading sloop had 
rounded the northeastern point, and was near 
the bar which lies across the mouth of the 
beautiful haven; then, to the surprise of all, 
there came a sudden puff of smoke from the 
nearest garrison, followed almost immediately 
by the roar of a cannon, and an instant later a 
ball skipped over the surface of the bay to- 
wards the approaching craft. 

“I wonder what that means,” Lieutenant 
Jones, who had his quarters on the Laughing 


132 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Betty, remarked to Lieutenant Fanning, who 
stood near him. 

u Possibly it is only a hint for us to show our 
colors,” suggested his comrade. “ They may 
not be allowing any vessel to enter the offing 
without declaring her nationality.” 

“We will soon find out,” Master Jones replied, 
giving an order for the English flag to be run 
up the mast. 

But the display of that banner made no 
difference. Again the redcoats fired, and this 
time with such accuracy that the bowsprit and 
a part of the larboard railing of the sloop were 
carried away. 

“This is getting interesting,” muttered the 
senior lieutenant, as he hurried forward and 
scanned the pugnacious fort with his glass. 

“ For some reason they are suspicious of us,” 
his colleague, who had accompanied him down 
the deck, declared. “ See, the other garrison is 
opening fire, and it is at the other sloop. And 
there comes another shot at us.” 

As he spoke both fortifications began a furious 
fusilade upon the innocent looking vessels* 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 133 

Shot after shot fell thick and fast about them. 
It was clear that they were not going to be 
suffered to enter the harbor, and, chagrined at 
the defeat of his plan, Lieutenant Jones gave 
an order for both sloops to withdraw beyond 
the reach of the cannon. 

When this had been done, the plucky officer 
announced his next movement. 

u I do not wish to return to the squadron,” 
he said to Lieutenant Fanning, “ until I have 
some idea why we are not allowed to approach 
the town. You may order out the yawl under 
charge of Midshipman Foster.” 

When this was manned with six stalwart 
sailors, he took his seat beside his young subal- 
tern, and flying a flag of truce started for the 
shore. 

For a half-mile the small craft was allowed 
to keep on its way ; then a second fusilade was 
begun by the forts, each one seeking to be the 
first to sink the advancing boat. Amid the 
shower of balls the yawl kept on until one 
struck it knocking off a part of its gunwale, and 
wounding one of the sailors with the splinters. 


134 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ We shall have to give it up,” the commander 
declared between his set teeth. “ Even a truce 
boat is not respected here. Pull back to the 
Betty , lads.” 

Then Tom, touching his cap, made a sugges- 
tion: 

“ Did you notice that fishing-boat, lying just 
outside the reef, as we came in, Lieutenant 
Jones ? ” he asked. 

“Yes,” the officer assented; “but why do 
you ask ? ” 

“ Could not we seize that, and learn from its 
occupants why the forts are suspicious of us ? ” 

“We can at least try,” the officer replied 
heartily. 

So when they were back on board the sloop, 
she was ordered to run over towards the fisher. 
Scarcely had she started to do so, however, 
when the captain of that craft, who seemed to 
be watching the strange vessels, and in no way 
surprised that they had not been allowed to en- 
ter the harbor, pulled up his anchor and tried 
to escape through a narrow opening in the reef 
a few fathoms beyond him. But he was not 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 


135 


quite quick enough, and a half-dozen muskets 
brought to bear upon him and his negro crew 
led him to obey the summons to come alongside. 

He was a tall, intelligent-looking fellow of 
about twenty years of age, whose grace of 
manner, and military air, could not be wholly 
concealed by the rough garments he wore, and, 
suddenly suspicious that he might be something 
more than an ordinary fisherman, Lieutenant 
Jones said to him as his boat touched the side 
of the Laughing Betty : 

“ Come on board, sir. I wish to hold a con- 
sultation with you.” 

He leaped up from the bow of his own boat, 
caught the rail of the sloop, and swung himself 
on board with the ease of an athlete. Then 
touching his broad-brimmed hat as a subaltern 
would salute a superior officer, he announced : 

“ Here I am at your service, sir.” 

“ And an officer of the fort,” suggested Lieu- 
tenant Jones, significantly. 

He laughed heartily. 

“ Oh ! it is a regular game of give away,” he 
said. u I knew I could not conceal my identity 


136 


tWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the moment you overhauled me. I am Ensign 
Phil brook, sent out here to learn the names of 
your vessels and to pick up any other informa- 
tion I can about you.” 

u But why are we not allowed to enter the 
bay ? ” inquired his interlocutor. 

The young Englishman shrugged his shoul- 
ders, remarking drily : 

w You have too many men under your decks, 
sir.” 

“ How did you know it ? ” persisted the as- 
tonished lieutenant. 

“ You ran too close to the island before you 
made the transfer from your four frigates,” * 
Master Philbrook explained with the appear- 
ance of one who enjoyed making that dis- 
closure. 

“Could you see us?” asked Lieutenant Jones 
in still greater surprise. 

“ Yes,” the ensign confessed gleefully. “ You 
see, sir, we have a lookout station in the top of 
one of our tallest trees, and our man there could 

* This has been called Commodore Hopkins’ “ foolish mis- 
take ” by some of the historical writers. 


AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUSE. 


137 


see your ships as readily as the lookout at your 
mast-head eould see our island. You’ll have 
to try some other way to surprise us.” 

Then with something like a braggadocio 
spirit he added : 

“ You’ll also find us prepared to give you a 
warm reception whenever you attack us.” 

“ We shall have one less man to fight any- 
way,” retorted Lieutenant Jones grimly, and 
leaning over the rail he said to the negroes in 
the fisher : “ The sooner you start for the shore 
the sooner you’ll get there — ” a hint they were 
not slow to take. 

Then turning to his prisoner he continued : 

“ We’ll go into the cabin, sir, where we can 
talk at our leisure.” 

Not at all disconcerted by the misfortune 
which had befallen him, Ensign Philbrook 
obeyed his captor’s request, saying : 

“ I thought likely you’d keep me to tell the 
commander of your squadron why his little ruse 
failed” 


CHAPTER VIII. 


A RECONNOITER. 

It was not necessary for Lieutenant Jones to 
give any extended account of his repulse at the 
mouth of the harbor when he reached the wait- 
ing squadron. The vessels had been near 
enough to the forts to hear the sound of their 
guns, and the lookout at the masthead of the 
Alfred had through his glass watched each 
movement of the disappointed officer. Even 
the capture of the prisoner had been noted, and 
its purpose, when announced, understood by 
the commander of the fleet. Scarcely was the 
Laughing Betty within signaling distance, 
therefore, before the flagship hoisted an order 
for the lieutenant to bring his captive on board. 

As unconcerned as when talking with his 
captor the British ensign faced Commodore 
Hopkins, and with even greater zest told of the 
discovery of the advancing squadron by the 


A RECONNOITER. 


139 

lookout in the tree-top on the island. His 
manifest delight in telling of the fact greatly 
displeased the listening officer, and unable to 
conceal his irritation, he exclaimed : 

“ Have a care, sir, how you rejoice over our 
rebuffi Doubtless you are fully aware of the 
fate which befalls all spies who are found with- 
in the enemy’s lines.” 

Both Captain Saltonstall and Lieutenant 
Jones, who were present at this interview of the 
young Englishman with their commander, looked 
aghast at this interpretation of Ensign Phil- 
brook’s act — that of watching the sloops from 
his fishing-boat. The prisoner, however, seemed 
to regard the declaration as a huge joke, for 
laughing carelessly, he replied : 

“ It would be hard to prove that I entered 
your lines until compelled to do so, wouldn’t it, 
Commodore ? ” 

“ When our sloops passed you on their way 
into the harbor you were within our lines, 
where you remained until captured,” answered 
the provoked officer with something like triumph 
in his tones. 


140 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Though suddenly aware that the commander 
was talking seriously, the cheek of the ensign 
did not blanch, nor did his voice tremble. 

“ It is strange how differently we look at the 
same act,” he retorted with fine sarcasm. “ I 
thought your vessels, when they passed me, en- 
tered our picket lines. I was not aware I ^ 
moved from a position I had, in obedience to 
my commander, occupied long before their 
approach.” 

Commodore Hopkins bit his lips in his 
chagrin that a mere stripling had got the best 
of him in the argument. Then he cried : 

“You cannot deny that you are my prisoner, 
sir, and that it is within my power to load you 
with irons and put you into solitary confinement.” 

The captive merely bowed his head in as- 
sent, while Lieutenant Jones hastened to ask : 

“ May he not share my quarters with me, sir ? 

I will be responsible for his safety.” 

“ I have other work for you,” was the blunt 
reply. “ Captain Saltonstall, see that the pris- 
oner is secured as I suggested.” 

The ensign followed the captain from the 


A RECONNOITER. 


141 


cabin, while the lieutenant, his brow dark with 
the wrath he felt, awaited his superior’s com- 
mands. 

“ Send all the extra men on the sloops back 
to their respective ships, Lieutenant Jones,” the 
Commodore announced ; “ then get the Laugh- 
ing Betty ready for a cruise down through the 
channel to the south side of the island. As 
soon as nighfc comes I want you to go around 
there and ascertain these two things : Whether 
there is a suitable harbor there for the fleet ; 
and whether a force can be landed and led 
across the neck to the rear of the forts. If the 
first night is not long enough to accomplish 
these objects conceal yourself in some cove dur- 
ing the day, and complete your work the fol- 
lowing night. We shall look for your return 
on the second morning at the farthest. You 
will find us lying to a few miles north of here, 
where we shall be beyond all observation from 
the island.” 

With clearing brow the Lieutenant bowed his 
acknowledgment that he understood his orders, 
and then departed to carry them out. 


142 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Night came with the suddenness of the 
tropics, but it found the trim sloop ready for her 
reconnoitering trip. Under the cover of the 
darkness, and showing no lights which might 
betray her movements to the regular lookout, or 
any chance observer, on the island, she slipped 
away from the rest of the fleet, and bore off to 
the southwest. Her course carried her near 
enough to the entrance of the harbor, however, 
for her watching officers to notice the great fires 
which had been built on each projecting arm, 
presumably to detect the approach of the squad- 
ron if it attempted a night attack. 

Lieutenant Jones, standing near the helm of 
the Betty , smiled grimly as he beheld the 
flames. Then he remarked to Lieutenant Fan- 
ning and Midshipman Foster, who stood beside 
him : 

“ I wonder where they will think we have 
gone when morning comes ? The ships will be 
out of their range of vision, and the island will 
be between us and them. 7 ’ 

“ Perhaps they will think we have vanished 
with the night,” Tom suggested humorously. 


A RECONNOITER. 


143 


“They may have lookouts on the south side 
of the island who will report our presence 
there,” young Fanning said thoughtfully. 

u You are right,” replied the senior lieutenant 
quickly, u and we must cover the bow gun be- 
fore the moon rises lest it proclaim our real 
character. With that out of sight any one 
seeing us will be likely to take us for a harm- 
less trader, for they would hardly suspect one 
of our vessels to be around here alone.” 

“We will attend to it at once, then it will 
not be forgotten,” Lieutenant Fanning returned 
decisively. “Midshipman Foster, will you go 
forward and see to it ? ” 

The subaltern obeyed, and soon what ap- 
peared to be only a harmless heap of ropes and 
canvas occupied the place of the cannon. 

Around the west end of the isle the Laughing 
Betty crept, and along the reefs that guarded 
the shore. Fortunately the wind was light, and 
the sea quite calm, so no danger attended the 
search for an opening through the irregular line 
of coral which would indicate the existence of 
a safe anchorage on the farther side. 


144 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Mile after mile the sloop sailed on, keeping 
near enough to the rocky barrier to detect, not- 
withstanding the darkness, the mouth of a chan- 
nel sufficiently large for her to pass through, if 
there were one, but the east end of the island 
was reached without finding such a passage. 

The moon peeped above the horizon as the 
run was completed, and Lieutenant Jones, leav- 
ing the bow of the vessel where he had himself 
kept a sharp lookout on the reef, went aft 
where he found Lieutenant Fanning. 

“ We will go back over our course under the 
moonlight,” he announced, “ and it may be we 
shall find some opening through which I can go 
with a yawl. Let the bow watch report if he 
finds one. I will also have you, as we return, 
take frequent soundings to ascertain whether it 
is possible for the ships to lie at anchor any- 
where outside of the reef. With a channel for 
small boats, and a fair anchorage we might on 
a calm night like this make a landing. Call 
me if either shoal water, or narrow passage is 
found ; ” then he went down to his cabin. 

For an hour the sloop retraced the course 


A RECONNOITER. 145 

down which she had come. A dozen times the 
lead had been thrown only to find the water too 
deep for a ship’s cable. Then the forward 
watch called out : 

“ Break in the reef, sir ; two points off the 
starboard bow.” 

Quickly the Betty was hove to, and word 
was sent down to Lieutenant Jones that an 
opening had been found. 

He came promptly to the deck, where he re- 
ceived Lieutenant Fanning’s report respecting 
the soundings which had been made, and the 
discovery of the passage through the reef. 

Together the officers walked forward to view 
the latter. The moon, nearly full, threw ample 
light on the coral barrier and surrounding sea, 
for them to discern quite clearly a narrow and 
tortuous channel through the rocks to the smooth 
water beyond. 

u Order out the yawl to land Midshipman 
Foster and myself on the island,” the senior 
lieutenant immediately said. “ When it returns 
you may go on to the west end of the reef, tak- 
ing soundings every few fathoms. About dawn 
10 


146 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

come back here and send in the boat for us, we 
shall be waiting for it.” 

Five minutes later the light craft, under the 
steady pull of four stout rowers, made its way 
through the winding passage, and emerged into 
the smooth waters of the lagoon. Here Lieu- 
tenant Jones stopped for a moment to measure 
the depth of the water, and finding it sufficient 
to float the largest ship of the fleet, he remarked 
regretfully : 

“ What a pity there is not a wide channel 
through the reef ! The squadron could ride in 
here with perfect safety, and land the men with- 
out trouble. Surely the fates are against us ! ” 

“ Could not the ships lay to long enough off 
this channel to send in the men in small boats ? ” 
Midshipman Foster inquired. “ We had no dif- 
ficulty in launching the yawl, or in coming 
through the reef, and we might have brought a 
load with us. It would seem to me that, on a 
still night like this, it would be perfectly feasible 
to land a force large enough to capture the gar- 
risons.” 

u I should try it,” Lieutenant Jones declared 


A RECONNOITER. 


147 


emphatically, “ if we find an easy road across the 
island, but I am not sure that our Commodore 
will.” 

The boat now touched the beach, and the two 
officers stepped out. Glancing up towards the 
adjacent woods, the lieutenant called the atten- 
tion of the sailors to a huge tree that towered 
many feet above its fellows. 

“ See that mahogany, lads,” he said. “ When 
you return at dawn come straight in towards it, 
and you will find us waiting for you.” Then 
he sent them away. 

As the boat departed Lieutenant Jones touched 
his companion’s arm, saying in a low voice : 

“We will go up to that tall tree I spoke to 
the boys about. I wish to examine it.” 

Wondering what his purpose could be Tom 
followed him. They reached the mahogany to 
find it one of the largest of its kind — several feet 
through the butt, and many feet high. About 
the trunk the officer slowly proceeded, feeling 
of its surface up as far as he could raise his 
hands. When on its rear, or north side, he sud- 
denly gave an exclamation. 


148 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


M All ! I thought so ! ” 

Stepping along beside him the midshipman 
put up his own hand until it rested on that of 
his comrade. Then he understood the reason 
for his exclamation. 

At that point there was a small cavity cut 
into the wood, large enough to receive a man’s 
foot ; and a hasty examination showed that there 
were two rows of these holes chipped out, about 
eighteen inches apart, straight up the tree. The 
quick-witted lad instantly understood two 
things : the meaning of the cavities ; and why it 
was that Lieutenant Jones had desired to visit 
the stalwart mahogany. It was, as he had sus- 
pected, the watch-tower for that side of the island. 

“ Do you suppose there is any one up there 
now ? ” questioned Tom in a whisper. 

“ I hardly know what to think,” his compan- 
ion answered in the same low tone, and peering up 
into the tree whose thick top revealed no secrets. 
“There would be no sense in having a lookout 
up there before the moon arose ; and if one has 
come across the island since then, it is more than 
likely that he discovered the sloop before he as- 


A RECONNOITER. 


149 


cended to his perch, and is now watching ua 
from some place of concealment in the woods. 
But we’ll find out.” 

Then to Tom’s astonishment he glanced up 
into the thick tree-top, and called out in clear 
tones : 

“ Hello, up there ! Hello ! ” 

No answer came. 

“ You better reply, and mighty quick too, if 
you don’t want me to put a bullet into you,” he 
continued savagely, and pulling a pistol from his 
belt he flourished it in the moonlight. 

Still no sound came from the dark shadows 
above his head. 

u Ho ! ” he went on carelessly, “ there is no one 
up there. It’s only a day tower. We’ll go up 
along the beach, and look for the path through 
the forest,” and with these words he stalked out 
of the underbrush, followed by his bewildered 
comrade, who thought the officer had needlessly 
betrayed the reason of their landing to the con- 
cealed redcoat, if there were one. 

They had proceeded but a few rods, however, 
when the lieutenant stopped and waited for the 


150 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


midshipman to come up with him. Then mere- 
ly touching the lad’s arm, in token that he was 
to move with the utmost caution, he re-entered 
the woods, and began to make his way noise- 
lessly back towards the big tree. 

Quickly divining the officer’s purpose, Tom 
kept close at his heels, and they were soon with- 
in a few feet of the mahogany. Pushing aside 
the intervening bushes they glanced up at the 
huge trunk, and there, half-way down it, and 
still descending, were two Britishers. 

Again Lieutenant Jones touched his comrade’s 
arm, this time holding up the pistol which he 
had, two minutes before, and while at the foot 
of the tree, drawn from his belt. The boy un- 
derstood him, and promptly drew one of his 
own weapons. 

“ Cover the upper man, I’ll look out for the 
lower one,” the lieutenant said under his breath, 
and then together the two Continentals stepped 
out into the opening. 

“ So you have decided to come down, have 
you ? ” Master Jones asked curtly. 

The redcoats were so disconcerted by the 



“Cover the upper man, and I’ll look out for the lower one,” said 
the Lieutenant under his breath. Page 150. 

Two Yankee Middies. 







A RECONNOITER. 


151 


sound of his voice that they almost lost their 
hold upon the tree. Their hurried glance 
downward was even more disquieting, for there, 
with pistols drawn and cocked, and having them 
wholly in their power, were the two officers 
whom they supposed to be well up the beach. 

“ They’ve got us, Jim,” the nearer one ejacu- 
lated, and looking up at his companion ; “ we 
shall have to surrender.” 

“ Well, be quick about it,” growled the other. 
“ I can’t hang here all night.” 

“ Stay right where you are until I tell you to 
come down,” directed Lieutenant Jones, passing 
his pistol over to Tom, who forthwith covered 
both of the soldiers with the weapons. 

“ Have you any cords about you ? ” the lieu- 
tenant now inquired, at the same time searching 
his own pockets. “ I wasn’t counting on our 
getting any prisoners to-night, and haven’t a bit 
of string about me.” 

“ I have only my handkerchief,” responded 
the lad. “ It is in the pocket next to you. We 
might also use our neckerchiefs ; that will be 
enough to tie their hands.” 


152 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Which is all I wish to do,” answered the 
senior officer. “ I propose they shall use their 
feet in our service for a few hours.” 

As he spoke he unfastened his own, and then 
his comrade’s neckcloth, and tied them together, 
in this way securing a bond for one of the pris- 
oners. Their united handkerchiefs furnished 
a cord for the other. When these were in readi- 
ness for use, he bade the men to descend one at 
a time, and in a few moments had firmly bound 
the hands of both behind them. 

“ I reckon that’ll hold them,” he commented 
when the last knot had been tied. “ Now give 
me my pistol. There ! we are ready to march 
Lead away, men ! Take us over to the 
forts ! ” 

“ The best route is around the shore,” sul- 
lenly remarked the redcoat who had been called 
Jim. 

u How far is it that way?” questioned his 
captor. 

“ Four or five miles,” the man replied. 

“ And how near can you get to the forts that 
way without being seen ? ” 


A RECONNOITER. 153 

“ Not nearer than a mile on such a night as 
this,” the Britisher admitted. Then by way of 
explanation he added : 

“From our watch-tower over there you can 
see nearly all the way down the west side of the 
island.” 

“And you have a lookout there day and 
night?” 

“We do now, when you fellows are known 
to be hanging around. That is how we came to 
be over here.” 

“ Is there not a road through the forest ? ” 

“ No, only a trail, and a poor one at that,” 
broke in the other prisoner with the air of a 
man who did not propose that his companion 
should do all the talking. 

“ How far is it across to the garrisons by that 
route ? ” 

“Two miles direct, but you can’t go in a 
straight line.” 

“ Lead on. We’ll try that way.” 

“You’ll have to go single file,” demurred the 
soldier. 

“ Very well ! Remember I have you by the 


154 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


coat-tail, and shall send a ball through you at 
the first sign of treachery,” retorted Lieutenant 
Jones. “ Jim can follow me, with Midshipman 
Foster at his back, ready to do him the same 
favor if it becomes necessary.” 

With unpleasant grins the prisoners took 
their places, and the tramp was begun — a tramp 
which exhausted the strength and tried the pa- 
tience of the two officers ; and yet there was no 
reason to believe that the captives had misled 
them. Through underbrush, around thickets, 
over fallen logs, and under trees whose tops 
shut out every ray of light, the trail led — and 
it was a trail which only those who were well 
acquainted with it could have followed. It was 
fully two hours before they reached its end, and 
saw ahead of them, first the village, and then 
the forts farther down the sides of the har- 
bor. 

“ You rascals, why didn’t you tell me of this ? ” 
exclaimed Lieutenant Jones, as they paused at 
the edge of the woods. 

“Tell you what, sir?” the prisoner he had 
hold of asked in some alarm. 


A RECONNOITER. 


155 


“ That we couldn’t reach the forts this way 
without going through the town,” the officer 
explained. 

“You didn’t ask us, sir,” the fellow truth- 
fully replied. 

“Well, take the back trail at once,” the lieu- 
tenant remarked, and pushing the redcoat back 
into the forest. 

The first traces of the coming day were visible 
in the eastern sky as they again reached the 
great mahogany. The sails of the sloop could 
be seen over the reef, showing that she was al- 
ready in waiting, and in a few minutes the yawl 
was sent in for them. 

On the way out to the vessel Lieutenant Jones 
suddenly turned to his prisoners, asking : 

“ When does your relief come over here ? ” 

“At six,” they replied. “We are twelve 
hours on, and twelve hours off.” 

“ Is there a watch-tower on the east end of 
the island ? ” was the next query. 

“ No, sir. It’s so far from the harbor we 
don’t look for an attack from that quarter.” 

The object of these inquiries was evident the 


156 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

moment the lieutenant mounted to the deck of 

the Laughing Betty. 

“ Sail directly for the east side of the island,” 
he said to Lieutenant Fanning who stepped for- 
ward to greet him. “ We must be out of sight 
around yonder point in another hour. I will 
receive your report of your latest work after 
we have found a safe harbor for the coming 
day” 

Away sped the sloop under a stiff morning 
breeze, and within the allotted time the distant 
point had been reached, and turned. A mile 
beyond, a channel through the reefs, wide 
enough for the Betty to pass through, was 
found, and she was soon lying close in under 
the wooded shore, where she, after her sails 
were lowered, was scarcely visible. 

All day long she lay there undisturbed, her 
officers and crew obtaining a much needed rest. 
Not until late in the afternoon in fact did Lieu- 
tenant Jones call for his subaltern’s report. 

This was brief. 

“ After the boat returned from the shore, sir,” 
Lieutenant Fanning said ; “ I obeyed your order 


A RECONNOITER. 


157 


and went as far as the southwestern point of 
the island, taking frequent soundings. But I 
could not find a place where the water was not 
deeper than a cable’s length. In short, sir, 
there is no anchorage for the squadron any- 
where along the south shore.” 

“ And there is no road across the island by 
which a force of men of any size can be taken,” 
responded the senior lieutenant, explaining in 
further detail his own movements during the 
previous night. “ Our Commodore will have 
to find some other way to strike the garrisons 
in the rear.” 

A little later he said : 

“ Perhaps we better get through the reef be- 
fore nightfall, Lieutenant Fanning. We can 
wait outside until the darkness shields us, and 
then run back to the fleet.” 

“Very well, sir,” replied the junior officer, 
and he immediately got the vessel under 
weigh. 

“ But scarcely was she outside of the reef, when 
a sailor on her bow called out : 

“ Ship ahoy, sir ! Right ahead, sir ! ” 


158 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Chagrined at this misfortune the two lieu- 
tenants went forward, where they beheld 
another sloop not a half mile distant, and com- 
ing straight down towards them. 


CHAPTER IX. 


DISCOVERED. 

The approaching sloop was a small affair, 
with dingy sails, and, apparently, a crew of only 
a half-dozen men. The two officers gazed at 
her for a few minutes, and then Lieutenant 
Fanning asked : 

u Do you make her out, sir ? ” 

“ She looks like a wrecker,” Lieutenant Jones 
replied, “ and doubtless belongs here at the is- 
land. But, if she has been out of the harbor 
for several days, she probably knows nothing 
of the presence of our fleet, and will therefore 
have no suspicion of our real character. Let 
her come up.” 

In five minutes she was within hailing dis- 
tance, and, luffing up into the wind, a man on 
her quarter-deck called out : 

“ Sloop ahoy ! Do you want a pilot ? ” 

159 


160 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ She is a pilot boat, and may have come out 
of the harbor this morning,” Lieutenant Jones 
said in low tones to his companion. u We shall 
have to capture her and take her along with 
us.” Then raising his voice he replied to his 
questioner : 

“ Come alongside, and we’ll talk the matter 
over with you.” 

“ Aye, aye, sir,” was the answer, and getting 
under headway again, the craft came on to- 
wards the Laughing Betty . 

Perhaps to show his skill, or it may be be- 
cause he was the only competent helmsman on 
board, the man who had hailed the sloop, and 
who later proved to be the captain and owner 
of the newcomer, now took her tiller into his 
own hands, and brought her under the larboard 
side of the Betty without a perceptible jar. 
Then, leaping upon the rail of his own boat he 
caught hold of the gunwale of the larger one, 
and swung himself on to her deck. 

Straightening himself up he began : 

“ I reckoned you were bound for the harbor, 
and would want — ” then his jaw suddenly 


DISCOVERED. 


161 


dropped. He had sized up the sloop and her 
crew, and for the moment was speechless. 
Then he ejaculated : 

“ Hang me if ye ain’t one of those sloops that 
tried to get into the harbor yesterday after- 
noon.” 

u You are right, my friend,” returned Lieu- 
tenant Jones promptly, “ and we still want to 
get into the harbor. Can you run us in ? ” 

The man shook his head slowly. “ It can’t 
be done,” he declared ; “ they’d sink ye before 
ye got ’cross the bar.” Then he remarked 
dubiously : “ I s’pose my craft’s a goner, an’ I 
an’ my men are prisoners ? ” 

“ Since you know us we shall have to detain 
you for a short time,” the lieutenant admitted. 
“ But it may be nothing more serious if you do 
the fair thing by us.” 

“ What’s that ? ” asked the man with brighten- 
ing countenance. 

Lieutenant Jones turned to Lieutenant 
Fanning : 

“ Send Midshipman Foster and a half-dozen 

men on board the prize,” he commanded. Then 
ii 


162 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


to the pilot he said : “ Come down into the 
cabin, and we’ll finish our talk.” 

When alone with the man the officer looked 
him over from head to foot with his dark 
piercing eyes as though he would read his very 
soul. The fellow shuffled uneasily under the 
scrutiny, and finally blurted out : 

“ What is it ye want me to do ? ” 

“ Do you own the craft you were in ? ” Lieu- 
tenant Jones inquired. 

“ Yes, sir, she belongs entirely to me.” 

“ And you would like to save her ? ” 

“ It’s kinder natural I should,” the pilot re- 
sponded, “seein’ she’s all I’ve got to make a 
livin’ by.” 

“ You are acquainted with the shores of this 
island ? ” 

“Yes, sir, an’ nearly every other one in the 
Bahamas. You see I’m not only a pilot but a 
wrecker, an’ go anywhere I’m likely to find a 
job. That’s made me ’quainted with the isles 
and reefs from here to Cuba,” he explained. 

“I think you are the very man we need,” 
Lieutenant Jones remarked with a pleasant 


DISCOVERED* 


163 


smile, “ and that it is possible for yon to save 
your sloop and secure the freedom of yourself 
and men.” 

“ How ? ” and there was eagerness in the 
pilot’s tones. 

“ By telling me of some secluded cove, near 
the harbor, into which we can take our ships.” 

The prisoner was silent for a few moments, 
then he inquired : 

“ Will your promise ’bout the boat an’ crew 
hold good so long as ye learn of such a 
place ? ” 

“Yes,” assented the lieutenant. 

u Nothin’ can prevent ye from lookin’ over 
my charts, as I see,” the man remarked with a 
grin, “ an’ it ain’t a tellin’ ye when ye find out 
a thing for yourself.” 

“ Thank you,” responded the officer with a 
quick laugh. “ I should be a dullard indeed if 
I did not take that hint. I think I’ll go over 
to your cabin. You may make yourself com- 
fortable here, or anywhere you please about the 
sloop until I return.” 

He went over to the pilot boat immediately 


164 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


where he found Midshipman Foster already in 
command. 

“ I wish to look over the captain’s charts,” he 
announced ; “ perhaps one of the crew can tell 
you where to find them.” 

Calling the man who served as mate on 
the little craft the three descended into the 
tiny cabin. Opening a locker under the pilot’s 
berth, the sailor asked : 

“ "Which chart did you wish, sir ? ” 

“The one of the island harbor,” Lieutenant 
Jones replied with the promptness of one who 
knew what he had come after. 

The man took out a roll saying : 

“ This is it.” 

The two officers took the map and spread it 
out upon the little table. It was a rude draw- 
ing of the entire northern side of the island, evi- 
dently made by the pilot’s own hand. Their 
keen eyes noted first, that the course into the 
little bay was traced out, and that the depth of 
water to be found all along the route was care- 
fully indicated. Then they saw, that, about a 
mile to the east of the harbor, a second channel 


DISCOVERED. 


165 


through the outlying reef was drawn, and 
marked as having a depth of water which 
would be sufficient for any vessel in the squad- 
ron. Once through this passage it was also 
clear that the whole shore as far up as the forts 
themselves would be available for a landing. 

They noted all this, and something else which 
was of nearly as much importance. It was that 
only a little back from the garrisons the shore 
suddenly curved inland, suggesting that there at 
that point was to be found, especially if there 
were adjacent woods, a place where on a dark 
night the entire forces of the ships could be dis- 
embarked without attracting the attention of the 
enemy. 

Their enthusiasm at this discovery could not 
be restrained. 

“ Here is our work for this night, Tom,” the 
lieutenant exclaimed, and dropping into a famil- 
iarity which was not common with him. “ The 
Commodore will not look for us before morn- 
ing, so we shall have time to verify this chart by 
making a personal examination of that channel 
and its immediate surroundings.” 


166 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ May I offer a suggestion ? ” responded the 
midshipman, unable to conceal the excitement 
that was tingling in his own veins. 

“ Certainly, my dear lad ; what is it ? ” the 
senior officer kindly answered. 

“ That we start on this trip at once, and in 
this craft, sir. Her coasting along the north 
side of the island would attract no special atten- 
tion should she be seen, and we might even en- 
ter the passage with her and awaken no suspi- 
cion. The Britishers do not know that she is in 
our possession, and to the eyes of their lookouts 
she would be only the pilot boat. In this way 
we can obtain a view of the locality before night 
shuts down. After dark we can make such 
soundings and measurements as you think nec- 
essary, and even land on the island if you de- 
sire. Meanwhile the Betty can lie off the upper 
end of this side, where she cannot be seen, and 
await our return.” 

Lieutenant Jones reached out his hand and 
grasped that of his young subaltern. 

“ A good plan, Tom,” he said, “ and one we 
will carry out immediately. To complete the 


DISCOVERED. 


167 


deception, however, we will send the crew of 
this boat on board of the sloop, and put the 
same number of our own men in their places, 
dressed in their clothing. It will then take a 
close inspection indeed to learn our identity.” 

In a short time the desired changes had been 
made, and the pilot boat, in charge of her Yan- 
kee crew, sailed briskly off up the coast, leaving 
the Laughing Betty to follow at her leisure. 

It was not quite dark when the former came 
in sight of the channel for which her occupants 
were searching, and a smile of satisfaction spread 
over Lieutenant Jones’ face as he noted its width 
and course, and the configuration of the island 
shore almost directly opposite. 

“ If the pilot has rightly marked the depth of 
water in there, we shall be able to-morrow night 
before the moon rises to put the whole squadron 
in behind yonder point,” he said to Midshipman 
Foster. “ Then our men can land and in the 
early morning hours advance upon the forts 
which cannot be over a mile away.” 

“ If you wish, sir, you may put me ashore as 
soon as it is dark, and I will try to pick out 


168 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the best route to the garrisons,” volunteered his 
subaltern modestly. “ I could do that while 
you were making your soundings through the 
channel.” 

“ I appreciate the spirit which leads you to 
offer to take the more dangerous part of the 
work upon yourself, Midshipman Foster,” the 
lieutenant replied heartily, “ but we will not 
separate. A little later we will together make 
the soundings through the channel and into the 
opposite cove. Then leaving the vessel in charge 
of the boatswain, we will go ashore and pick out 
a way to the fortifications. For the present, 
however, you may run off shore, as though 
bound on a trip to the northward.” 

The junior officer, though a little surprised at 
the order, gave the necessary command to the 
helmsman, and immediately the tiny sloop was 
bounding over the waves in the direction the 
fleet had gone the night before. 

“ I have an object in this,” Lieutenant Jones 
explained when his comrade had rejoined him. 
“ I do this to protect the pilot. On the reap- 
pearance of the squadron with this boat in its 


DISCOVERED. 


169 


possession, the redcoats will think, if their 
lookouts are watching us, that she ran too far 
north, and unfortunately fell into our hands. 
Of course you are to return as soon as the island 
is hid by the falling darkness.” 

In less than a half-hour, therefore, she had 
turned about, and was hastening back to com- 
plete the work her officers had assigned them- 
selves. Their northward run was retraced so 
accurately that they hit the very mouth of 
the channel, through which they slowly pro- 
ceeded, taking soundings every few rods. 

With open chart before him Lieutenant Jones 
gave out the courses, and checked off the sound- 
ings as they were announced, to find that they 
scarcely differed from those recorded by the old 
pilot. 

“We can rely on every figure he has put on 
this paper,” the lieutenant declared, as the boat 
emerged from the passage, “ and I promise to 
bring the Alf red safely through there to-morrow 
night. Now we must see how far she can go 
into yonder cove. Fortunately it is low tide, 
and wherever we find sufficient water to float her 


170 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


now, it will do to take her later. Make a straight 
course for the beach, and anchor as soon as you 
reach a depth of only ten feet.” 

“ Six fathoms ! Five and a half ! Five ! Four 
and three quarters ! Four and a quarter ! Four ! 
Three ! ” called out the lineman in turn, and 
then Midshipman Foster went aft and reported : 

“ We still have eighteen feet of water under 
us, sir, and yet I am quite sure we are nearly in 
shore.” 

“ Two fathoms ! ” came the cry from the bow 
at that instant, and Lieutenant Jones said : 

“Very well, anchor where you are.” 

When the sails had been furled, and every- 
thing put in ship-shape for a few hours of wait- 
ing, he added : 

“ Get out the yawl, and see how far we are 
from the beach.” 

This was done, and in a few minutes Tom 
came alongside with the announcement : 

“We are not over a cable’s length away, sir, 
with a good landing almost anywhere.” 

“ See if there is plenty of water around us,” 
was the next command of the lieutenant, and 


DISCOVERED. 


171 


while his subaltern pushed away to carry it out, 
he entered his cabin and busied himself with 
some writing. 

Fifteen or twenty minutes later the boat re- 
turned. As it touched the side of the sloop 
Lieutenant Jones folded up the papers he had 
written, and hurried to the deck. 

“ How do you find it ? ” he asked as he 
reached the gunwale. 

“ I have taken soundings for a hundred fath- 
oms around, sir, and find all the water we 
need,” answered the midshipman. 

“ Good ! ” ejaculated the senior officer. u That 
settles it. There is room in here for the whole 
fleet. Now for the other part of our work. 
Boatswain Gray,” he continued, turning to a 
sailor near him, “ you are to remain in charge 
here while Midshipman Foster and I are gone. 
We will send back the yawl after we land, 
and will whistle three times for it on our return. 
Under no other circumstances are you to go 
ashore. If at any time the Britishers discover 
you, and make an effort to capture you, you are 
to slip your cable, and, running back to the 


172 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


Laughing Betty , deliver these papers to Lieu- 
tenant Fanning. He will know what to do 
with them.” 

“ But that would leave you and Midshipman 
Foster in the hands of the redcoats,” remon- 
strated the faithful fellow. 

“ Not necessarily,” replied the lieutenant ; 
“ we might be in hiding in the woods, where we 
could remain until the squadron came. But 
whatever the consequences to us, these papers 
are not to fall into the enemy’s hands. Remem- 
ber that. Deliver them to Lieutenant Fanning 
if you can ; sink them in the sea if you must. 
We will now go.” 

The last words were addressed to the mid- 
shipman, and with their utterance the speaker 
swung himself down into the waiting boat. 
The two sailors in it pulled away, and in two 
minutes reached the shore. 

“ Return to the sloop at once, but hold your- 
selves ready to come after us at any moment,” 
directed Lieutenant Jones as he and his com- 
rade leaped out. 

“ Aye ! aye ! sir,” the men answered, and 


DISCOVERED. 


173 


pushing off they disappeared in the darkness, 
leaving the two officers alone upon the beach. 

For a few minutes they stood there and lis- 
tened, but no sounds reached them save the gen- 
tle ripple of the water at their feet, and the mur- 
mur of the light wind in the adjacent tree-tops. 

“The beach is our only route for the pres- 
ent,” the lieutenant finally remarked in a low 
tone, and leading the way up it ; “ but we may 
find open fields farther along.” 

Around the curving shore they slowly pro- 
ceeded until they reached the western extremity 
of the cove in which they had landed. From 
here they could see the fires which, as on the 
previous night, had been kindled at the entrance 
to the harbor. 

“They still fear a night attack,” remarked 
Tom, as he and his comrade paused to watch the 
burning piles. 

“ Yes,” he assented, “ but as soon as the moon 
rises they will let the fires go out, and trust to 
the sharp eyes of their watchmen. I hope we 
may be able to locate their watch-tower.” 

“ The forest seems to end just ahead there,” 


174 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


went on the midshipman, “ and I see no tree 
tall enough for that purpose. It must, I think, 
be nearer the forts.” 

“ Doubtless,” returned his companion ; “ we 
will go along to the end of the woods and take 
a survey from there.” 

Noiselessly they walked on until at the be- 
ginning of the cleared land. Stopping here 
they gazed ahead of them. It was too dark to 
discern clearly any objects a hundred yards 
away, but the fires on the arms of the harbor, 
and a light here and there in the town gave 
them a fair idea of the distance they would 
have to cover to reach the fortifications. 

“ Our forces could come as far as this un- 
noticed,” the lieutenant said in a whisper ; “ and 
for an attack on the first fort might as well 
keep along the beach until they are at the point 
on which it stands. There they would doubt- 
less strike a road leading to it. Whether the 
other force should leave the shore here I am 
not sure, however.” 

“We might cross the fields for a short dis- 
tance,” suggested Tom, putting his mouth close 


DISCOVERED. 


175 


to his comrade’s ear, “ and see if we do not find 
a road. If so, our first force could wait here 
until the second had time to reach the outskirts 
of the village. Then, with a sudden dash, both 
of the fortifications could be attacked at the 
same moment.” 

u I don’t imagine the land side of either gar- 
rison is fortified,” Lieutenant Jones commented 
in a voice which could not have been heard a 
dozen feet away ; “ and if we land and get as near 
them as this undiscovered, no guns can be turned 
on us before w T e reach them. But of course the 
nearer we get without being noticed the better 
our chances will be to capture them without a 
struggle. Let us go down the beach first. We 
can then take a road leading over this way, and 
see how near it comes to this place. If we meet 
any one we can pass ourselves off as sailors out 
for a stroll.” 

Quietly they proceeded, stopping occasionally 
to listen, but hearing no alarming sounds. In 
ten minutes they were as near to the eastern 
fort as they dared to go, lest they should be 
challenged by its sentinel. Through the gloom, 


176 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


however, they could make out the general form 
of the fortifications sufficiently to confirm 
Lieutenant Jones’ surmise. It was only a three- 
sided redoubt, its rear, or town side, being open 
and unprotected. 

u Come,” whispered the senior officer after a 
few moments, and they slipped noiselessly off 
towards the village. A few straggling houses 
lined the road, but they reached the street 
which faced the harbor without meeting any 
one. 

Here, however, there were signs of life. Some 
of the shops were open and occasionally a person 
passed up or down the street. Trusting to 
their borrowed clothing to conceal their identity 
the two officers followed this thoroughfare far 
enough to the west to be certain that it led 
around to the second garrison, then they began 
to retrace their steps. 

All went well until they were opposite an 
inn, or sailors’ lodging-house. Then the outer 
door suddenly opened, and five or six half- 
drunken seamen staggered out. The light from 
the doorway fell full upon the passing strangers, 


DISCOVERED. 


m 


and catching sight of them one of their sailors 
called oat : 

“ Hello there, my hearties ! What ship do 
ye hail from ? ” 

“ Come in an’ have a drink with ns,” cried a 
second. “ It’s Teddy Mulligan’s treat. Ye are 
welcome to gin or ale.” 

“We can’t come in just now,” replied Lieu- 
tenant Jones, pausing a moment. “We are on 
an errand for the old man. Wait a few minutes 
until we return.” 

“ No ; ye don’t,” retorted Master Mulligan. 
“ We’ll make ye drink now. Grab ’em, lads, 
an’ bring ’em in here.” 

As he spoke he made an attempt to seize the 
lieutenant. Out went the latter’s fist, striking 
the drunken man between the eyes and knocking 
him over. 

“ Run, Tom, run for all you are worth,” he 
said the next instant in a low tone to his com- 
rade, and away the two Continentals sped up 
the street, followed by the infuriated gang. 

12 


CHAPTER X. 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED,” 

The shouts of the pursuers attracted the at- 
tention of the inmates of some of the other 
buildings, and they came out into the street to 
see what had caused the disturbance. Catching 
a glimpse of the fleeing men, and thinking them 
guilty of some crime, they joined in the pur- 
suit with great zest. But for this circumstance 
the two officers would have easily made their 
escape. 

What, however, the half-drunken sailors could 
not do, these new allies did — they steadily 
gained upon the fugitives. 

Taking the first street to their left, which bore 
off towards the little cove where the pilot boat 
was awaiting them, the lieutenant and the mid- 
shipman ran at full speed, hoping their pursuers 

would before long give up the chase. It was 
178 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 179 

not until they were nearly out of the town that 
they discovered that the sailors had been re-en- 
forced, and that the newer and fresher men were 
overhauling them. 

“We must strike across the fields to the 
woods,” Lieutenant Jones declared, glancing 
back over his shoulder. “We shall be over- 
taken if we keep the road.” 

“ Come this way then,” responded Tom, dart- 
ing around the corner of a small house which 
stood close to the street. His comrade followed 
him, and, placing the building between them 
and their pursuers, they made a great spurt for 
the forest whose dark outline they could discern 
against the eastern sky. 

This movement helped them and they were 
soon near enough to the trees to hear their sway- 
ing tops. 

“We shall outstrip them yet,” panted Lieu- 
tenant Jones. “ Come nearer to me. We do not 
want to get separated in the forest, for if we do 
we shall never find each other again.” 

The midshipman complied with this request, 
and, side by side with his companion, sped on, 


180 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


unconsciously drawing nearer and nearer to a 
huge tree, which stood a few rods out from the 
main woods. Even when they found them- 
selves abreast of this they had no thought of 
danger until two men sprang out from behind 
it, and intercepted them. 

Lieutenant Jones dodged under the arm of 
his tall assailant, and kept straight on to the 
woods under whose cover he was soon concealed. 
But Tom was not so fortunate. His antagonist 
caught hold of his shoulder, and hurled him to 
the ground ; then he threw himself down upon 
him, crying out exultingly : 

“ I’ve got him ! I’ve got him ! ” 

“ Hold on to him until we get there ! ” 
screamed a half-dozen of the townsmen who 
were now close at hand. 

“ Some of you come and help me find this 
other fellow,” shouted the man who had fol- 
lowed the lieutenant to the edge of the 
woods. 

Lying flat in the underbrush the officer heard 
these cries, and knew that any attempt on his 
part to rescue his unfortunate comrade would 


THE LEAD OF THE “ALFRED.” 181 

only result in his own capture. So, reluctant 
as lie was to do it, he decided that it was wiser 
to leave the midshipman to his fate. 

“ He won’t be a prisoner over twenty-four 
hours if I escape,” he thought, “ and I can help 
him best by keeping quiet now.” 

For some minutes the search for the second 
fugitive was kept up, several of the new arrivals 
coming to the assistance of the man who had 
failed to catch him. They did not hesitate to 
enter the forest, and some of them passed near 
enough to the concealed officer for him to have 
reached out his hand and caught them by the 
legs, still he was not discovered. Finally all 
the searchers gathered about their single cap- 
tive, who had been allowed to get upon his feet, 
and one of their number demanded : 

u Who are you ? And what were you run- 
ning away for ? ” 

“ I’m only Tom Foster, and I ran away from 
some men who wanted to make me drink some 
rum,” answered the prisoner in tones loud enough 
for his hiding comrade to hear. “ And I won’t 
drink it,” he added in even louder and fiercer 


182 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

tones. “ I promised my mother before I went 
to sea that I wouldn’t and I won’t.” 

“ I suppose your companion ran away because 
he didn’t want to drink too,” remarked one of 
the bystanders drily. 

“ Of course he did, he’s a good boy like my- 
self if he is bigger,” retorted the captured lad. 

“ A remarkable circumstance,” the man went 
on sarcastically. u Two teetotalers in one ship ! 
Whoever heard of such a thing ? We better 
take him back to town and let the governor 
look into this matter a little more carefully. 
He may be able to explain where the two 
lookouts over on the south shore went to last 
night.” 

“ I’m ready to go back,” Tom declared vocif- 
erously, for he was anxious, whatever happened 
to himself, to make the escape of Lieutenant 
Jones certain ; “ and you will find out it is just 
as I tell you.” 

“ It may be all right, of course,” the islander 
who was insisting on the lad’s return to the vil- 
lage hastened to declare. u But it strikes me as 
a very peculiar thing for two men to be so afraid 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” I33 

of a little rum that they must run at the top 
of their speed for the nearest woods.” 

“ Take him back to town with you, Master 
Gridley, and let the governor examine him. I 
warrant he will soon get at the truth,” the man 
who had captured the boy now said. u Bacon 
and I will keep a sharp lookout for the other 
fellow. Perhaps after the moon rises we can 
find him.” 

“ Those men who intercepted us are the look- 
outs, and this tree is the watch-tower. We 
stumbled right upon it,” the young officer 
thought as he was led away. 

A similar thought came also to Lieutenant 
Jones as he lay quietly in his place of conceal- 
ment ; and, as soon as he regarded it safe to do 
so, he crept softly along to the edge of the 
forest, and tried to obtain some idea of the loca- 
tion of the great tree, and its distance from the 
north shore. 

u The best way will be to keep along the 
edge of the woods until I reach the beach,” he 
finally concluded. 

Still within the cover of the trees, on hands 


184 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


and knees and inch by inch, he crawled along. 
At length, getting beyond the hearing of the 
men who were still at the lookout tree, he arose 
to his feet, and walked cautiously onward. In 
a few minutes he came out at the place where 
he and Midshipman Foster had stood when they 
obtained their first view of the lights of the 
village. 

“ Ah ! ” he ejaculated under his breath, as he 
took his old position, and looked off again to- 
wards the town, “ we can send a squad of men 
up to that tree and capture the lookouts as soon 
as our ships enter the cove. Then there will be 
no danger of our movements being discovered 
until we are ready for our descent on the forts.” 

Turning about he walked rapidly down the 
shore until he knew he was opposite the waiting 
vessel. Here he gave three low but distinct 
whistles, and in response the yawl soon came in 
after him. 

Simply saying to the sailors: “We were 
discovered and Midshipman Foster captured,” 
he stepped into the boat, and gave the brief 
order : “ Pull away.” 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 185 

In two minutes he was on board the tiny 
sloop, where in low tones he explained to the 
boatswain the mishap which had befallen his 
comrade. That officer, like himself, believed the 
captured lad would be released the soonest by 
bringing the whole fleet to his rescue, so the 
anchor of the pilot boat was hoisted, and, glid- 
ing through the channel to the outer sea, she 
took a course for the east end of the island. 
Before the moon arose she had rejoined the 
Laughing Betty , then both vessels started 
northward, and at dawn sighted the waiting 
squadron. 

Sailing directly over to the Alfred, Lieu- 
tenant Jones boarded her, and notified Captain 
Saltonstall, who was on deck, that he was pre- 
pared to report the results of his cruise to the 
Commodore. For some reason, however, the 
commander of the fleet did not send for him 
until nine o’clock. 

“I see you are back again, Lieutenant Jones,” 
was his greeting as the subaltern entered his 
cabin and saluted. 

“ Yes, sir.” 


186 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“Well, what did you find on the south side 
of the island,” he asked abruptly. 

“ Not a single harbor ; not even a place for 
an anchorage ; and no road through the woods,” 
responded the lieutenant, going on to relate in 
detail the investigations he had made during 
the first night of his absence. 

“ Why did you not return with this report 
immediately ?” inquired his commander sharply. 

“ The morning was already at hand when I 
reached the sloop,” explained the officer, “ and 
the relief of the captured lookouts were mo- 
mentarily expected. I thought it wiser to keep 
out of their sight, and leave them in doubt as 
to the reason for their comrades’ disappearance, 
so I ran over to the east end, where I found a 
secluded cove in which we concealed our- 
selves.” 

“ And wasted a whole day which might have 
been used to form new plans,” growled the 
Commodore. 

“Not so, sir,” replied Lieutenant Jones in 
great earnestness, “ as you will yourself admit 
when I have completed my report. Before I 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 187 

left that side of the island I captured a pilot 
boat and obtained from her captain an item of 
information which I regarded as of peculiar 
value. It was that od the north shore, and only 
a mile east of the harbor itself, there was a safe 
landing for our forces.” 

“ Humph ! ” retorted Commodore Hopkins 
contemptuously, u I thought you had too good 
sense to be deceived by any story a renegade 
pilot might tell you.” * 

The subaltern flushed, but, with admirable 
self-control, responded respectfully : 

“ I trust I have, sir, unless I verify it, and 
that is what I did. In the cabin of the captured 
boat I found this chart of the whole north 
shore,” and, taking the drawing from his pocket, 
he spread it out before his commander, pointing 
out the features which had especially impressed 
him when he had first examined it. 

“Can it be relied upon?” questioned the 

* This is not an imaginary conversation. Lieutenant Jones 
received this rebuke from his commander, and with the 
greatest difficulty persuaded him to allow the vessels to be 
taken through the channel. 


188 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

Commodore in the pleasantest tones he had 
used during the interview. 

“ I have proved that it can,” Master Jones an- 
swered, and giving a full account of his trip 
through the channel, and his experiences on the 
island during the previous night, including the 
unfortunate capture of Midshipman Foster. 

“ He won’t tell them of your discovery, and 
our possible attack, will he ? ” queried the officer 
apprehensively. 

“ Have you seen anything in his conduct to 
lead you to believe he would ? ” asked the lieu- 
tenant indignantly. 

“No,” admitted the commander with some 
reluctance, “ but it is well to consider that risk 
before we decide to make a landing.” 

“ I am ready to stake my own life and the 
lives of my comrades on the certainty that he 
will not betray us,” exclaimed the subaltern 
warmly. 

“ And is there anything else you are ready to 
do ? ” inquired his superior with a sneer. 

“ Yes, sir,” returned Lieutenant Jones promptly. 
“ I am ready to promise you that I will put the 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 


189 


whole fleet safely into that cove to-night before 
the moon rises, if you will permit me to do 
so.” 

“Well, well, you may leave the papers and 
I’ll look them over. If your plan seems feasible, 
I may adopt it,” Commodore Hopkins responded, 
and dismissed him. 

“ Is it possible he will neglect to make use of 
this opportunity ? ” soliloquized the senior lieu- 
tenant as he left the cabin and went off to his 
own quarters. “ If I thought so I’d go from 
ship to ship and explain the situation to the 
captains. I am sure every one of them would 
favor the landing of our men this coming 
night.” 

He chafed under the uncertainty for a half- 
hour, and then sought Captain Saltonstall. In 
a casual way he approached the subject which 
was rankling in his heart, and, finding that the 
Captain was listening with unusual interest, he 
did not stop until he had given him a full ac- 
count of his discovery and the possibilities 
which lay within it. 

“ You say you brought a chart of this channel 


190 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

and its immediate surroundings to the Com- 
modore, and explained to him its nearness 
to the forts ? ” asked his hearer when he had 
finished. 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ And what did he say ? ” 

“ That he would look the paper over, and 
possibly adopt the plan I recommended, if it 
seemed feasible,” answered the lieutenant in 
evident chagrin. 

l< Can you make me a rough drawing of the 
channel, the adjacent shore, and the proposed 
routes to the forts ? ” inquired Captain Salton- 
stall abruptly. 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ Do so at once, please.” 

An hour later it was completed, and put with 
full explanations into the Captain's hands. 

“Thank you,” he said, and put it into his 
pocket. 

In a few minutes he ordered out his gig and 
went the round of the frigates, making a brief 
call on each commander. Upon his return he 
remarked to his executive : 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 191 

“We shall be prepared for the council which 
the Commodore is sure to call before the after- 
noon is over.” 

Nor was he mistaken. At four o’clock the 
signal was hoisted calling all the fleet captains 
to an interview. It lasted an hour, and then 
Lieutenant Jones was sent for. On his en- 
trance he was asked, in case it was decided to 
attempt a landing, in what order he would take 
the ships through the channel. 

“ My plan is this,” he replied without hesita- 
tion. “ I will take the wheel of the Alfred in 
my own hands and lead the way. Her only 
light will be one over her stern to guide the 
vessel that follows her. The second frigate 
shall put out a light for the craft behind her, 
and so I’d arrange each in turn until the last 
one, which will need no light at all. I will 
also draft the course for each helmsman, and 
with that, and the light of the preceding ship 
before him, he ought to run the passage safely, 
for it is in no sense a difficult one. Once in the 
cove, where there is abundant room for the en- 
tire squadron, the landing of the men can take 


192 1 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

place in any order and at any time our com- 
mander sees fit.” 

Pressed for further detail as to his own 
method of conducting the night attack, he said 
with a directness which showed he had thought 
the whole matter through : 

“ The first thing I should do after the vessels 
are safely anchored would be to send a small 
squad on shore to capture the lookouts at the 
watch-tower. In their place I would put two 
of our own men, and I would also station 
pickets at the point where the end of the forest 
touches the beach. It will then be impossible 
for us to be surprised, and we can disembark 
our men without fear of being disturbed. 

“I should begin this work as soon as the 
moon rises — which will be about twelve o’clock 
to-night — and in three hours it ought to be ac- 
complished. Then I would march the entire 
force along to the point where we had stationed 
our guards. There I would divide them, send- 
ing one party up to the watch-tower, where it 
would strike the road leading around the har- 
bor to the farther fort, and the other down the 


THE LEAD OF THE “ ALFRED.” 193 

beach to the nearer garrison. If the upper 
squad moved at a double quick it would reach 
the western arm of the harbor about the same 
moment as the lower squad arrived at the east- 
ern point. Then with a sudden dash the two 
companies could attack both fortifications at 
the same time.” 

“ What hopes have we of crossing that half- 
mile of open fields without being discovered ? ” 
questioned Captain Hopkins of the Cabot. 

u None,” replied the lieutenant with a smile, 
“ but I have every reason to believe we can pass 
over it before the enemy can make any effective 
rally against us.” 

“ Would it not be well to have one or more 
of the frigates off the mouth of the harbor to 
prevent the escape of the shipping ? ” inquired 
Captain Biddle of the Andrea Doria . 

“ Not until after the attack on the forts is 
begun,” was the decisive reply ; “ for as soon as 
the moon arose the vessels would be plainly 
visible to the sentinels at the forts, and put 
them in expectation of an immediate attack 
from us on sea, or on land, or both. We should, 

13 


194 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


however, have two of the frigates ready to fol- 
low up the land forces, and be off the bar by 
the time the garrisons are in our possession. 
That would effectually blockade the harbor.” 

“You are right and I was wrong,” declared 
the commander of the An&rea JDoria heartily. 

At this point the senior lieutenant withdrew, 
but he had the pleasure of knowing within a 
very few minutes that the attack had been de- 
cided upon, and was to be conducted largely 
along the line of his own suggestions. 

As the shades of night dropped down over 
the deep, the signal was run up for the advance 
to begin. In their usual order, that of the in- 
verted V, the ships proceeded until within 
a half-mile of the outlying reef. Then they 
swung into a straight line, with the flag-ship at 
the head and Lieutenant Jones at her wheel. 

If he felt any trepidation at the responsibility 
he had assumed he did not show it. As calmly 
as he had taken the tiny sloop through the 
channel the night before, he now followed the 
course laid down on the old pilot’s chart. 
There was just wind enough, and that from the 


THE LEAD OF THE “ALFRED.” 195 

north, to counteract the tide which was still 
flowing out, and to give steadiness to the crafts. 

East a little, then straight south, then south- 
easterly, then east again, bobbed the stern light 
of the Alfred. With his eye fixed upon that 
the helmsman of the Cabot followed each one 
of her movements. The pilot of the third frig- 
ate kept close after his own guiding star ; while 
the steersman of the fourth chased accurately 
the tiny gleam which danced on before him. 
The sloops and pilot boat, owing to their 
lighter draft, did not need to take so much 
caution, and sailed boldly in after their huge 
leaders. 

No one made a mistake, and some minutes 
before the hour Lieutenant Jones had set, the 
whole fleet was safely anchored within the 
sheltered cove. The first great step in the 
night’s undertaking had been successful. 


CHAPTER XI. 


A GENEKAL STAMPEDE. 

“Midshipman Lyman will report on deck 
for special duty,” called out an orderly at the 
door of the mess-room, and with flushed cheeks 
the young officer sprang to his feet, hurriedly 
buckled on his sword, thrust his pistols into his 
belt, and ran up the companionway. 

He was expecting this call. He had reasoned 
it out in this way : 

“ Since Lieutenant Jones is the only man ac- 
quainted with the locality, he will be put in 
command of the squad that is sent to capture 
the British lookouts. He will, moreover, be 
allowed to pick his men, and, now that Tom is 
in the enemy’s hands, I am quite certain he will 
choose me as the under officer.” 

This line of reasoning had led him to hasten 
down to his quarters as soon as the ship was 

anchored, where he made sure not only that his 
196 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


197 


weapons were in order, but were in reach of his 
hand, should he be called. The orderly’s an- 
nouncement, therefore, found him ready for an 
immediate response. 

As he emerged from the cabin he saw Com- 
modore Hopkins, Captain Saltonstall, and Lieu- 
tenant Jones, standing near the wheel engaged 
in earnest conversation. Walking down to 
them, he saluted, saying : 

“ Here I am, sir.” 

It was the lieutenant who responded. 

“ You are prompt,” he said, turning towards 
the lad, “ but I will join you in another moment, 
in the yawl which is already lowered.” 

“Very well, sir,” returned the subaltern, 
stepping along to the railing and swinging him- 
self down into the boat. 

He barely had time to note that there were 
eight men beside himself in the craft, when the 
lieutenant appeared, and gave the order to pull 
away. 

No other word was spoken until the yawl 
touched the shore. Then her commander said 
in a low tone : 


198 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Step out, lads.” 

The eight sailors obeyed promptly. Midship- 
man Lyman immediately followed, while Lieu- 
tenant Jones himself brought up the rear. 
Once on the beach the latter went on in the 
same low tone : 

“ Pick up the boat, lads, and set her beyond 
the reach of an incoming tide. We may be 
gone some time ” 

Instantly the stout tars, four on each side, 
raised the craft and carried her a rod or more 
up the shore, where they put her down noise- 
lessly. 

When this had been done the officer raised 
his hand saying : u Hist ! ” 

All became as silent as death. For a mo- 
ment they stood there listening, then the lieu- 
tenant gave three low whistles. Again there 
was silence, for no response came to the signal 
which had been given. After an interval of 
two or three minutes Lieutenant Jones repeated 
it, but still got no answer. 

w That settles it,” he at length said. “ Mid- 
shipman Foster is in the hands of the British, 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 199 

for had he escaped them he would have been 
waiting here for our coming. We will go 
on.” 

They were soon at the end of the forest, 
where the lights of the town and the fires on 
the arms of the harbor could be seen, and again 
stopped to listen. But all was as calm and 
peaceful as it had been at the same hour the 
previous night. 

“ That does not look as though the enemy 
have learned any alarming facts from their pris- 
oner,” commented the lieutenant after a mo- 
ment’s listening. “ They are pursuing the same 
tactics to-night as they did last night — which 
shows that they are still looking only for an 
attack from the sea.” 

Stationing two of the sailors here to act as 
pickets, he, with the remainder of the squad 
following him in single file, started cautiously 
along the edge of the woods towards the great 
tree. 

When within about a hundred feet of it he 
turned to his subaltern, who was walking just 
behind him, saying in a whisper : 


200 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Wait here, while I go forward to reconnoiter. 
I do not believe the lookouts are here yet, but 
it is better to be careful.” 

The midshipman passed the word down the 
line, and the entire squad became motionless, 
while its leader disappeared in the darkness. 

He moved so quietly no sound came to the 
ears of the waiting men until they heard a low, 
gentle voice, apparently from the neighborhood 
of the watch-tower, asking : 

u Lieutenant Jones, is that you ? ” 

“ It’s a woman ! ” exclaimed Sam under his 
breath. “ What can it mean ? Hands on your 
weapons, men, ready for instant use.” 

“ Aye, aye, sir ! ” was the whispered response, 
and a slight rustle at their belts told that the 
command had been promptly obeyed. 

Listening intently they heard the lieutenant, 
in great surprise, reply : 

“Yes. Who are you? What do you want ? ” 
“I have a message for you,” the same low 
voice announced. Then all was quiet until the 
footsteps of their commander could be heard 
coming towards them. 



“ Lieutenant Jones, is that you?” “It’s a woman!” exclaimed 
Sam under his breath. Page 200. Two Yankee Middies. 

























































A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


201 


In another moment he had joined them, say. 
in g: 

“This beats me. I was almost at the tree 
when a young girl standing beside it asked if it 
was I. For a moment I hesitated about ac- 
knowledging my identity, but finally concluded 
it was safe to do so, and asked who she was. 
Declaring she had a message for me, she stepped 
towards me, dropped this paper into my hand, 
and, before I could say another word, fled off 
towards the town.” 

“ Shall I start a fire so you can read it ? ” 
the midshipman asked. “ I have my pocket 
flint and steel with me.” 

“Yes,” assented the lieutenant, “but let us 
step within the forest, where it cannot be seen 
by any one who happens to be looking this way.” 

“You are sure there are no lookouts up the 
tree ? ” one of the sailors ventured to ask. 

“ Had there been the girl would not have 
been there,” his commander responded confi- 
dently. 

Behind a thicket, and with the men huddled 
around to shut out the flickering flames, the lad 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


m 

built a tiny fire of leaves. In the light of this 
Lieutenant Jones opened the bit of paper which 
had been handed him. It read : 

Lieutenant Jones : — The lookouts will not be at the 
tree until after this is given to you. By lying in wait 
you can capture them. The way will then be clear for 
you, for the British are expecting only a night attack 
from the ships, and have posted no pickets between the 
great tree and the forts. Though not where I should 
like to be, I am thankful I am where I can still serve 
the cause. Thomas Foster. 

Passing the note over to his subaltern, after 
he had finished reading it, the lieutenant in- 
quired : 

“ That is Tom’s handwriting, is it not ? ” 

Sam examined it carefully before he replied. 
Then he said : 

“ Yes, sir. It is written hastily, but Tom cer- 
tainly wrote it. I should know his handwriting 
anywhere.” 

u And there is no one else on the island from 
whom we could expect such a message,” con- 
tinued the officer ; “ so we may accept it as 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


203 


genuine, and act in accordance with its instruc- 
tions. The first thing is to place ourselves in a 
position to seize the lookouts before they can 
give an alarm.” 

An examination of the surrounding field dis- 
closed a small thicket a few rods west of the 
tree, or on the town side of it. Here two sail- 
ors were secreted with instructions to allow the 
expected redcoats to pass by them, and then 
they were to arise, and, unobserved, follow them 
up. Of the remaining men, two were sent a 
little way to the north, or beach side, of the 
watch-tower, where they concealed themselves in 
a hollow ; while the other two went to the south 
and threw themselves flat on the ground, trust- 
ing to the darkness to hide their presence. Di- 
rectly behind the huge trunk itself the two offi- 
cers took their stand, and their leap out upon 
the unsuspecting lookouts was to be the signal 
for their comrades to close in. 

It was nearly an hour after these arrangements 
were completed before the sound of footsteps 
far down the road announced that the watch- 
men were coming. Louder and louder the sound 


204 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


grew. Nearer and nearer the men came, their 
slow, unconcerned movements, and the odor of 
the pipes they were smoking, revealing clearly 
that they had no suspicion of the trap which was 
already set for them. 

Some time before they reached the thicket 
where the two sailors had been stationed their 
voices became audible. 

“ We are ’most there, Gilbert,” one of them was 
saying, “ and I wonder what is in store for us ? ” 

a Nothing serious I reckon, Phil,” his com- 
panion replied carelessly. 

“ I don’t know about that,” returned the first, 
“ maybe some one will spirit us off as they did 
Jim and Phin night before last over on the 
other side of the island.” 

“ But no one touched the men who were over 
there last night,” retorted the second, signifi- 
cantly. 

“ It was the men over here who had the ad- 
venture last night,” remarked the other ; then 
he added with a chuckle, “ and instead of being 
caught themselves they caught one of the other 
fellows.” 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


205 


“ Pshaw ! that fellow they caught is nothing 
but a boy,” protested his comrade, “ and he had 
no more to do with the disappearance of Jim 
and Phin than I did. He proved that he be- 
longed to that Yankee schooner in the harbor, 
and was running away from a drunken gang. 
The governor let him go this morning. As for 
spirits — well, to my mind, the only spirit that 
had anything to do with Phin and Jim was the 
spirit within them.” 

“ What do you mean by that ? ” questioned 
the one called Phil, stepping up to the great 
tree, which he had now reached, and knocking 
the ashes out of his pipe against its side. 

“ I mean,” exclaimed Gilbert laconically, 
“ that it was the spirit of cowardice that carried 
them off. They deserted so as not to be in the 
fight they were afraid was coming ; and there’s 

a lot of others in the forts who’d like to do ” 

Here his words were choked off, for Lieuten- 
ant Jones had leaped from behind the tree and 
caught him by the throat. At the same instant 
the midshipman sprang upon the other man, and 
before either one of them could recover from the 


206 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


surprise into which he was thrown by the unex- 
pected attack, the six sailors were also upon 
them. 

“Surrender, or I’ll run you through,” each 
officer cried in low, decisive tones, as he pressed 
the point of his sword against the breast of his 
opponent. v 

“ When it comes to that, I give in every time,” 
gasped the fellow in the lieutenant’s grasp. 

“ And me too,” the other soldier added quick- 
ly, ceasing to struggle. 

It took but a moment more to disarm them, 
and then they were marched off towards the 
shore in the care of Midshipman Lyman and 
four sailors. Lieutenant Jones delayed long 
enough to give his final instructions to the two 
men who were to remain on guard there. 

u You need not ascend the tree, lads,” he 
said ; “ simply remain in the shadow of its 
trunk, and see that no one comes up the road to 
surprise us. Should a force of any size approach 
fall back to the other picket station, and send 
one of your number for reinforcements. But I 
hardly think you will have any occasion to do 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


207 


that. When our own men come along your 
place will be with the party which is to attack 
the western garrison,” and then he hurried away 
towards the other pickets. 

Arriving there he gave the two sailors on that 
station nearly the same directions he had their 
comrades at the watch-tower, but assigned them 
to the company which was to assault the lower 
fort. This work finished he strode rapidly down 
the shore, hoping to overtake the squad with the 
captives by the time they reached the boat. 

Meantime Sam was finding the prisoners in 
his charge very talkative. 

“ Are you the chap one of our men caught 
last night ? ” the taller of the two inquired, and 
bending forward in his effort to obtain a better 
view of his captor’s face. 

“ No,” the midshipman answered ; but, hoping 
to obtain some tidings of Tom, he added : 
“ Why do you ask ? ” 

u Because you are about his size and build,” 
was the reply. “ I saw him this morning when 
he left the governor’s house, and went down to 
the harbor.” 


208 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ I heard you saying something like that as 
you approached the big tree,” the young officer 
responded. “Tell me what you know about 
him.” 

“ He’s one of your fellows fast enough,” inter- 
rupted the other prisoner with something like 
triumph in his tones ; “ and I always thought he 
was.” 

“ It shows your good judgment,” replied the 
lad with a slight laugh. “ I don’t mind telling 
you that he belongs to the same ship as myself, 
and that his companion last night whom your 
men did not capture is the lieutenant behind 
us.” 

“ And they carried off Phin and Jim — our 
two fellows who were over on the other side of 
the island ? ” questioned the same soldier with 
the eagerness of one who wished to establish 
an opinion he had already maintained. 

“ You’ll find them on shipboard,” was Sam’s 
reply. 

“ What’d I tell you, Gilbert,” the man cried 
exultingly turning towards his fellow captive. 
“ Who was right in this matter, you or I ? ” 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 209 

“ I give in,” the other soldier said good- 
naturedly. 

u But tell me of my friend,” persisted the mid- 
shipman, addressing the redcoat by his side. 

“I cannot tell you a great deal,” the man 
declared. “ But I know he w r as smart enough 
to pass himself off as one of the crew of a Salem 
vessel which came into the harbor for repairs 
a few days before the appearance of your fleet, 
and which has not been allowed to sail. What 
became of him after that I do not know.” 

At this moment they arrived at the yawl, and 
were almost immediately joined by Lieutenant 
Jones. While the two officers looked out for 
the prisoners, the sailors launched the boat, then 
all embarked, and went off to the flag-ship. 
When tbe captives had been placed in the brig, 
Sam, wbo had had charge of this work, re- 
turned to the deck where he found the senior 
lieutenant. Relating the facts about Tom 
which he bad learned from the Britishers, the 
lad asked : 

“ If Tom is free, why do you suppose he sent 
that girl to you with the message instead of join- 

14 


210 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ing us himself ? I should think he would want 
to have a part in the capture of the forts.” 

Lieutenant Jones, recalling the last sentence 
of that message, replied : 

“ Doubtless that is his preference, and if he 
has not returned to do so, we may be sure it is 
because he believes he can do us a greater serv- 
ice by remaining where he is.” 

“ I don’t see how that can be,” soliloquized 
Sam as he went down to his quarters for a brief 
rest before the next call to duty. “ I don’t see 
how he can help us by remaining among the 
British. I don’t see why he did not come and 
tell us what he is up to anyway. I don’t see 
why he sent that girl. Who was she, anyway, 
and how did he know he could trust her ? ” 

The more he puzzled over these questions, the 
more perplexing they grew. He was still try- 
ing to solve them, when an order was given for 
the landing of the sailors to begin. 

It had been decided at the council of 
the fleet captains and their commander that three 
hundred men would be sufficient for the land 
force and these were drawu from the four 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


211 


frigates in equal number. As the moon arose, 
the small boats were lowered, and the disem- 
barkation commenced. It proved an easy matter, 
and long before three o’clock the seamen were on 
the beach, where they formed into two companies 
of one hundred and fifty each — one under the 
command of Lieutenant Jones, and the other in 
charge of Lieutenant Arnold of the Columbus . 

The advance was delayed, however, long 
enough for two of the ships — the Cabot and the 
Andrea Doria — to pass through the channel to 
the outer sea, where they were to lay to until 
the rush for the garrisons began ; then they 
were to sail for the mouth of the harbor and put 
it under blockade. The capture of the lookouts 
had rendered this movement possible, for while 
the sea just without the passage would have 
been, after the rising of the moon, visible from 
the top of the tree-tower, it was too far east to be 
seen by the sentinels on the ramparts of the 
fortifications. 

At length the frigates were in place, and the 
last step in that night’s undertaking was ready 
to be taken. 


212 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Forward ! ” was the command of the senior 
officer at the head of the two columns, and 
forward the men rapidly moved. Reaching the 
first picket station, a halt was made, and a 
survey of the forts taken. In the early dawn 
they lay quiet, and apparently unconscious of 
the presence of the force which, within a few 
minutes, was to fall upon them. 

Passing down the lines Lieutenant Jones said 
cheerily : 

“ The enemy do not expect us, lads. Get 
ready for a good stiff run. We are going to 
part here, and those of you who go with me will 
have to take two steps for every one the other 
division takes. Can you do it? ” 

“ Aye, aye, sir ! ” came the low but earnest 
response. 

To Lieutenant Arnold he then remarked : 

“ I shall now wheel to the left and go up to 
the big tree. Advance far enough with your 
men to watch us, and when I swing my sword 
high in the air, you will know the rush is 
to begin. Bear in mind that we have nearly 
twice your distance to go, and regulate your 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


213 


pace so as to reach the lower end of yonder 
point about the time we strike the foot of the 
opposite one.” 

“ I’ll do my best, sir,” was the officer’s hearty 
reply. 

Returning to the head of his own men the 
senior lieutenant gave the order : 

“ Quick step, lads ! Left wheel ! For- 
ward ! ” and up across the field to the watch- 
tower they went on the run. 

Whirling around this, they only waited for 
the flash of their leader’s sword in the morning 
light, and then began their rush. Down the 
path, into the nearest street, and on towards the 
upper harbor, they went at a double quick. 
The tread of their feet shook the houses they 
passed, and awoke the sleepers, but by the time 
the half aroused inmates peered out to see what 
made the commotion they were nearly out of 
sight down the thoroughfare. 

Before they arrived at the center of the 
town, however, some one had decided who 
the rushing men were, and sent up the 
cry: 


214 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“The Yankees are here ! The Yankees are 
here ! ” 

The cry was taken up, and reverberated off 
over the still waters of the bay to the gar- 
risons. These were already in commotion, for 
their sentinels had just seen and reported that 
two frigates were approaching the harbor from 
the east. An alarm had been sounded, and the 
awakened officers and men were running to their 
stations. But their thoughts were with the 
coming vessels, and not until the cry arose from 
the village were they aware that there was an 
attacking force in their rear. 

The discovery demoralized them, and there 
was a general stampede. Out from the re- 
doubts they fled, hoping to escape to the town 
or to the woods beyond before they could be 
hemmed in. On the eastern point they were 
not successful, however. Lieutenant Arnold 
and his men cut off their retreat, and swept the 
fleeing men back into their garrison, where they 
surrendered without a blow. 

But on the opposite point, a large portion of 
the runaways by keeping over to the western. 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 215 

beach, eluded Lieutenant Jones and his com- 
pany, who for the time let them go. Gather- 
ing in the stragglers only, they kept on to the 
redoubt to find a British captain pacing back and 
forth across its entrance, the sole defender of 
the place. 

He smiled grimly as the Continentals rushed 
down upon him, and, extending his sword, hilt 
foremost, towards Lieutenant Jones, said : 

“I surrender to you, sir, all I have — my 
sword, the fort and its guns — as for men, I have 
none.” 

“ I accept the garrison and its contents, sir,” 
the lieutenant replied ; “ but the sword I return 
to you. You deserve it for remaining at your 
post.” 

The British flag had already been run down 
at the opposite fort, and the Continental banner 
displayed in its place. In another minute a 
similar change of bunting had been made at the 
western fortification, and without the shedding 
of a drop of blood both redoubts were in pos- 
session of the Colonists. 

A messenger was immediately despatched to 


210 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

Commodore Hopkins, announcing this fact, and 
by the time the flag-ship and her consorts were 
in the bay, an inventory of the contents of the 
two forts had been made out. It was found 
that eighty cannon, a few small arms, and a 
scanty supply of powder, were all they con- 
tained. The sharp eyes of Lieutenant Jones, 
however, detected unmistakable evidences that 
large quantities of goods and ammunition had 
recently been removed from the store-houses 
and magazines, and he added this fact to his 
report. The old captain was sent on board the 
Alfred &&& sharply questioned. 

“ I have surrendered you everything in my 
possession,” was his unvarying answer. 

“ Send a force up to the town, and arrest the 
governor, and bring him here,” was the Com- 
modore’s next order. 

This was promptly done, and in an hour that 
official stood before the commander of the fleet. 
Bat to all interrogation about the missing stores 
he returned one and the same answer : 

“You are welcome to everything you can 
find, sir ! ” 


A GENERAL STAMPEDE. 


217 

“ Perhaps a few days of confinement may 
render you a trifle more communicative,” was 
the comment of the exasperated Commodore, and 
he ordered the prisoner to be taken down to 
the hold where he was to have the same fare as 
the other captives. 

About the same moment Midshipman Ly- 
man, who was with Lieutenant Jones in the 
western fort, approached that officer, asking : 
“ May I take a small force, sir, and look up 
Midshipman Foster?” 

“I hardly think that is necessary,” replied 
the lieutenant with a smile, u for there he 
comes now.” 

Sam whirled about to behold his long absent 
chum hastening up the road towards the re- 
doubt. 


CHAPTER XII. 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 

To understand the appearance of the young 
midshipman at this time we must go back to 
the moment when he was delivered over to 
Master Gridley and the townspeople, by the 
lookout who had captured him, and follow him 
in his movements which were as thrilling as 
they were unexpected. 

He was immediately led away towards the 
village, and as he journeyed along two thoughts 
were prominent in his mind. The first had to 
do with Lieutenant Jones’ escape. “ He will 
be able to reach the pilot boat, and carry the 
tidings of his discovery to the fleet,” he solilo- 
quized. “ That means that within twenty-four 
hours our men will be here, and my release will 
speedily follow. I need not worry therefore 
over the possibility of a long imprisonment,” 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


219 


This matter disposed, of he turned his atten- 
tion to a second and a more pressing thought : 
“How can I keep the British officials from sus- 
pecting my connection with the squadron?” 
That Master Gridley — whoever he might be — 
did entertain such a suspicion there could be no 
doubt. His sarcastic replies at the watch-tower, 
and his anxiety to have the prisoner taken be- 
fore the governor of the island, clearly estab- 
lished that fact. This suspicion must be al- 
layed, and a credible reason for his presence in 
the town, and for the incident of the evening, 
must be given. Tom recognized the difficulty 
of the task, but set his wits to work to accom- 
plish it. 

That the drunken sailors, whom they would 
doubtless meet on their return, would confirm 
his statement, that he had run away to avoid 
drinking their proffered rum, he firmly be- 
lieved. But what if he was asked the name of 
his ship, and to tell the errand which had 
brought him on shore ? How could he evade 
this direct questioning, and yet awaken no mis- 
trust about himself? If he only knew the 


220 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

names of some of the vessels in the harbor, he 
would venture to select one, and declare he be- 
longed to her, trusting to the promptness and 
positiveness of his statement, to prevent further 
investigation. But he did not know the name 
of a single one. To guess at a name, and not 
hit upon a right one, would show clearly that 
he was trying to conceal something. But could 
he not refuse to give the name of his vessel on 
the ground that he was deserting her, and did 
not propose to be sent back to her ? Would not 
such a declaration on his part, throw additional 
light on two other things also? Would it not 
explain why he did not give the name of bis 
companion ; and why they had been so ready to 
refuse the rum of the other sailors, and to keep 
out of their clutches ? The more he thought of 
it, this seemed the only reasonable excuse he 
could give for withholding the name of his ship, 
if questioned about her, and on this course he 
had practically decided, when the main street of 
the town was reached. 

At this corner a party of sailors headed by 
Teddy Mulligan was waiting, and as they saw 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


221 


the approaching squad they began to call out 
lustily : 

“ Did ye get ’em ? Did ye get ’em, lads ? ” 

w One of them,” some one in the returning 
throng answered. 

“ I hope ’tis the spalpeen who knocked me 
down,” cried Master Mulligan striding forward ; 
“ if so I’ll split open his head.” 

He pushed his way throught he group until 
he came face to face with the prisoner. Look- 
ing him over as well as he could in the dark- 
ness, he continued in evident disappointment : 

“ Ho ! it’s only the little shaver. He did me 
no harm, but I’ll take him back to the tavern 
an’ make him drink my health,” and he put out 
his hand to take the captive by the shoulder. 

Master Gridley pushed him away. 

“ Let him alone,” he remarked quietly. “ He’s 
in my charge, and I’ll take care of him.” 

“ Ah, who are you ? ” demanded the baffled 
sailor with a fearful oath. 

“I am Caesar Gridley, the governor’s secre- 
tary,” the man replied as quietly as before. 

The announcement, brief as it was, had an in- 


222 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

stantaneous effect upon the drunken men. Their 
boisterousness ceased, while their leader, doffing 
his cap, said apologetically : 

“ I begs pardon, sir. I meant no offense. 
Only ’tis Teddy Mulligan’s birthday, sir, and 
he was a treatin’ every sailor in town. This 
here kid an’ the fellow with him insulted me 
by refusin’ my rum. That’s why we were 
chasin’ ’em.” 

“Do you know what ship he belongs to?” 
questioned Master Gridley, evidently still re- 
luctant to give up the opinion he had already 
formed about his prisoner. 

“ I think to that Yankee craft in the harbor, 
sir,” Teddy replied promptly ; while one of his 
companions added : 

“ That’s it, sir. I’ve seen him on board of 
her.” 

Like a flash Tom saw his opportunity, and 
quickly remarked, with well-feigned chagrin : 

“ What’s the use of denying it now, sir ? ” 

“ Then you had no business on shore at this 
hour,” retorted the secretary, “ and I’ll take you 
to the governor just the same.” 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


223 


He proceeded along the main thoroughfare a 
short distance, then turned into a wide avenue 
leading to the south. Along this he proceeded 
for some distance, and then stopped before the 
most imposing edifice the lad had yet seen. 

As they were about to ascend the steps to 
the veranda the door opened, and a tall, digni- 
fied gentleman, accompanied by three women in 
evening attire, came out. One of the latter 
was of middle age, while the other two were 
only young girls. 

“ Good evening, your Excellency,” exclaimed 
the secretary, and, removing his hat as soon as 
he caught sight of the ladies, he added : “ and 
good evening, madam and mesdemoiselles.” 

“Ah ! Is it you, Master Gridley ? ” re- 
sponded the governor looking down at the 
secretary and his companion. “What do you 
wish ? ” 

“ I was not aware, sir, that you were going 
out to-night, and came around here with this 
prisoner,” and he rapidly explained how the 
lad had been captured, adding : 

“My first thought was that he was a spy 


224 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


from the American squadron, but the sailors 
who were chasing him say he belongs on board 
Captain Hatch’s schooner, and he affirms it. 
Knowing in that case he had no business to be 
on shore at this hour I concluded to keep on 
here with him to ask what I should do with 
him : Send him to the bridewell, or let him 
go?” 

“ We’ll see in a moment, Master Gridley,” 
answered the official. “ Come here, Mistress 
Hatch. Do you know this fellow, and is he 
one of your father’s crew ? ” 

While the secretary was speaking Tom 
glanced at the two girls. They were both very 
pretty, but offered a striking contrast to each 
other. The nearer one was tall and stately, 
with a hauteur which was unmistakably born 
of pride. She gazed for a moment down at the 
two men that barred the passage, and then 
turned disdainfully away, making an uncom- 
plimentary remark to the elderly woman, whom 
she addressed as mother, about persons who did 
not know better than trouble her father with 
business at so unseemly an hour. 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


225 


The other maid was scarcely of medium 
height, and as plump as she was fair. Her 
brown eyes, moreover, told of a depth of char- 
acter which was wholly wanting in the other ; 
while both courage and faithfulness were 
stamped upon her face. She impressed even a 
casual observer as one who would be loyal to 
any cause she espoused, and who would die 
rather than betray a trust. 

Coming through the doorway a little later 
than the others, her attention had been arrested 
by the words which fell from Master Gridley’s 
lips, and as he concluded she looked straight at 
the captive lad. The young officer was sure he 
had never seen her before, yet as her eyes met 
his, she started as though she recognized him, 
and was startled by her discovery. She had, 
however, fully recovered control of herself when 
the governor called her by name, and stepped 
along carelessly towards the front of the stoop 
as though to obtain a better view of the lad 
before she gave her decision. 

In that brief moment Tom’s heart sank with- 
in him. Of course she would deny that he 
i5 


226 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


belonged to her father’s vessel, and the suspicions 
he had hoped to allay respecting his identity 
would be aroused in full force. He could not 
help dropping his head in sheer disappointment 
that his nicely laid plan had so quickly failed, 
but the next instant he received the greatest 
surprise of his life. 

“ Of course I know him, sir,” the young girl 
declared with a positiveness which carried with 
it the conviction that she was telling the truth. 
“ He is Tom Foster. How came you to leave 
the ship, Tom ? Did father say you could ? ” 

If she played her part well, the young mid- 
shipman was fully her equal as an actor. Still 
holding down his head he replied sheepishly : 

“I didn’t ask him. I slipped away in the 
yawl.” 

“ What for ? ” asked the official sternly. 

“ I wanted to see the sights,” confessed the 
lad in abashed tones. 

Here the wife of the governor spoke to him 
in a low and impatient voice which led that offi- 
cer to turn to his secretary, saying : 

“ I can give no more time to this matter now, 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 227 

Master Gridley. Take the prisoner around to 
the jail for the night. I will question him 
further in the morning,” and he and the ladies 
descending the steps went off up the street. 

w Come on,” the secretary said, as they disap- 
peared, and he led his captive back to the main 
street. At its corner he turned to the right, and 
proceeded for a few rods, where he stopped be- 
fore a building constructed of the native coral, 
and knocked loudly. In a few minutes an old 
man came shuffling along to the door, and asked 
querulously, before he opened it, who was there. 

“ The governor’s secretary with a prisoner,” 
Master Gridley replied impatiently. 

Hastily the door was unbarred and thrown 
open. Delivering the captive to the jailer with 
just enough explanation for him to understand 
that he was to guard the lad carefully until he 
was called for the following day, Master Gridley 
departed. 

The jailer barred the door again, and then 
led the young officer up a rude stairway to the 
second floor. Throwing open the nearest door 
he said tersely : 


228 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“ Go in ! ” 

The lad obeyed, and the door was closed and 
fastened upon him. He had, however, caught a 
glimpse of his cell under the flicker of the can- 
dle the old man carried, and knew there was a 
bed in one corner. Groping his way over to this, 
he threw himself upon it, but not to sleep. His 
brain was busy with the questions : “ Who is 
this Miss Hatch ? How came she to know me ? 
Does she know I belong to the squadron ? ” 

The only answer he could give was to the first 
question, and that came from the conversation 
which had taken place between the governor 
and the secretary. Evidently she was the 
daughter of the captain of the Yankee schooner 
in the harbor. The other questions he must 
drop for the present, but it was clear that the 
young girl favored the Continental cause, and 
was ready to help him conceal his identity from 
the British. He felt grateful to her for this help, 
and hoped he might yet have the opportunity to 
tell her so, and with this thought in mind he 
fell asleep to dream that she came to him and 
offered to lead the Continental forces from the 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


229 


secluded cove to the forts — an offer he was glad 
to accept. 

It was dark in the cell when he awoke, but 
through the cracks in the rough shutter which 
covered his grated window the light of the com- 
ing day gleamed. He arose and went over to 
it. A brief examination showed him that he 
could reach through the iron bars and unhook 
the shutter and push it open, in this way giving 
himself both light and air. He promptly did 
so, and gazed off towards the great tree where 
he had been captured. How sweet the fresh air 
seemed ! How glorious the day was to be ! 
Could he see the ocean from his window ? He 
stepped along to its south edge, and was de- 
lighted to find he could look over the tops of 
the low houses on the opposite side of the street, 
and catch a glimpse of the sea just at that point 
where the forest touched the beach. To-morrow 
morning before this hour, the men who had been 
landed from the frigates would come around 
that edge of the woods — and he could see them 
and hear them if he could not join them. He 
would be up early and watch their movements, 


230 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES, 


unless the governor dismissed him. If released, 
he would during the coming night make his way 
to the cove, and be in waiting there, when the 
sailors landed. 

He had got thus far in his reverie when some 
hard object struck one of the iron bars in front of 
him with a force that made it sing. He glanced 
down, and beheld a small negro boy just be- 
neath his window. Noticing that he had at- 
tracted the prisoner’s attention the youngster 
held up a bit of coral around which a piece of 
paper was tied. He then made a motion that 
he was going to throw it through the grating. 
Tom understood him, and, nodding assent, 
stepped back out of the way. The next instant 
the stone, deftly thrown, came between the lower 
bar and the sill and landed on the cell floor. 
Picking it up the young officer looked out. 
The negro had disappeared. 

Quickly untying the scrap the midshipman 
read these words in a neat and legible hand : 

Master Thomas Foster: — 

When brought before the governor to-day remem- 
ber these three things : First, that you belong to the 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


231 


schooner Amos Bradford, bound from Jamaica to Sa- 
lem, which has put in here for repairs. Secondly, 
that her captain is Charles J. Hatch. Thirdly, that 
your companion last night, who escaped, was Master 
Elijah Simsbury. My father knows about this and 
has already put your name on the list of his crew. 
Master Simsbury will, if necessary, testify that he was 
ashore last night — as he really was. So stick to these 
statements and the governor cannot discover who you 
really are. We are glad to help you and the cause. 

Ruth Hatch. 

“ God bless you, Ruth, for planning for my 
safety while I slept,” he ejaculated fervently 
when he had perused the note. “ If I don’t go 
free this morning with such a helper as you I 
deserve to rot within these walls. And it may 
be I shall see you — talk with you — learn how 
you came to know me — and have an opportu- 
nity to thank you for your kindness. You will 
find me grateful.” 

Then he did a strange thing for so sensible a 
fellow. He kissed the bit of paper, and stowed 
it carefully away in the pocket of his waist- 
coat. 

He ate the breakfast which the old jailer 


232 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


brought him an hour later, with an appetite 
which proved he was not worrying over his fate ; 
and when at nine o’clock an orderly appeared 
at the door of his cell, telling him he was now 
wanted at the governor’s residence, he an- 
nounced his readiness to go with so cheery a 
smile, one would have thought he was going to 
a picnic, rather than to face an official who held 
the power of life and death in his hand. 

He was taken to a large room in one wing of 
the gubernatorial mansion, which was fitted up 
as an office. Behind a large table sat the gover- 
nor, intently perusing a paper before him, while 
at a smaller table at his right, Master Gridley 
was sitting busily engaged in writing. The 
guard conducted the lad up in front of the 
larger table, where he stood for some time un- 
noticed by either official. Then the governor 
looked up, scowled, and asked peremptorily : 

“ What’s your name ? ” 

“ Tom Foster.” 

u What ship do you belong to ? ” 

“ The Amos Bradford .” 

“ Who is her master ? ” 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


233 


“ Charles J. Hatch.” 

“You came ashore last night without any 
permission from him ? ” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ Did any other sailor come ashore ? ” 

“ Yes, sir ; Elijah Simsbury.” 

“ Where is he now ? ” 

“ I do not know unless he has returned to 
the schooner.” 

“ How dared you break my order to your 
captain that neither he nor any of his crew 
were to come on shore between sunset and sun- 
rise ? ” 

“ I ought not to have done it, sir,” admitted 
the prisoner very humbly. His reply appeared 
to mollify the great man, for he remarked some- 
what kindly : 

“ I gave that order for the safety of your crew. 
I desired to prevent any altercation between 
them and the British sailors who might happen 
to be on shore. You see for yourself how near 
you came to getting into trouble.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“ Well, let this be a lesson to you. I find you 


234 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


have told me the truth, and Mistress Ruth 
Hatch assures me you are not an unruly fellow, 
I set you free this time. It may not turn out 
as well for you if you are found on shore at 
night again. You may go.” 

“Thank you, sir,” the lad replied and ha- 
stened from the room. 

Once out upon the street he stopped a mo- 
ment uncertain what to do. Then deciding 
that he better go on board the Yankee schooner 
for the day at least he walked slowly off towards 
the harbor. Before reaching the water he heard 
his name called by some one behind him, and 
turned around to behold the young girl who 
had befriended him, and a gentleman who 
proved to be her father. They joined him, and 
the Captain asked in a loud tone as though he 
had always known him : 

“Got enough of the jail, Tom ?” 

“ Yes, sir,” he answered, and understanding 
the impression the officer wished to make on 
any chance listeners, he added : “You don’t 
catch me in such a scrape again.” 

“I should hope not,” Captain Hatch re- 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


235 


sponded. “ W ell, our boat is down here. Come 
along and we’ll go on board the schooner.” 

He followed them as one of the crew might 
have done, and they led him down to a yawl 
which was drawn up on the shore, and in charge 
of a stout sailor. 

“ Push off the boat, lads,” the Captain com- 
manded brusquely. “ Tumble in all,” he added 
when the craft was afloat. u Tom, you may take 
the bow oar. Ruth, sit here by me. Pull away, 
my hearties.” 

When some distance out in the bay the officer 
gave the lad on the bow seat a comical look, 
saying in a low tone : 

“ Thomas Foster, that is Elijah Simbury sit- 
ting in front of you. I thought it was time you 
knew each other.” 

The sailor glanced over his shoulder, and 
nodded at Tom knowingly, while the Captain 
went on : 

“We were both on shore to testify in your 
favor if necessary.” 

“ I am very grateful to both of you, sir, and 
to Mistress Ruth, for all you have done for me,” 


236 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


replied the lad, and he gave the young girl a 
look which sent the warm blood to her fair 
cheeks. 

“ Tut, tut,” answered the skipper ; u it isn’t 
worth speaking of.” 

There was silence until the vessel was reached 
and they had mounted to her deck. Then lead- 
ing the way to the stern, where a huge sail had 
been stretched for an awning, Captain Hatch 
motioned his guest to one chair, took another 
himself, drew his daughter close to his side, and, 
looking affectionately up into her face, remarked : 

“ I suppose, Midshipman Foster, that Ruth 
was the prime mover in this affair. If she hadn’t 
recognized you I should hardly have interested 
myself in your behalf.” 

u That is what puzzled me, Mistress Ruth,” 
the young officer declared. u I do not know that 
I ever saw you before last night, and yet you 
knew me and called me by name.” 

Again the color mounted to the young maid’s 
cheeks, but she frankly explained the mystery. 

“ When you and your friends, Masters Lyman 
and Fanning, came into Salem on the Polly, she 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


237 


anchored close to our vessel. I saw you all, and 
Captain Lewis afterwards told me your names, 
and that you were all on your way to Philadel- 
phia to join the navy. He said so many nice 
things about you all, that your faces were fixed 
in my mind, and I recognized you last evening, 
as soon as I saw you. Master Gridley’s words 
showed me that you were trying to pass your- 
self off as one of our crew. I understood your 
purpose and did what I could to help it along.” 

“ Which was very nice of you,” Tom said gal- 
lantly. “ But how did you get word to your 
father so -that he could fix up things for me ? ” 

The girl glanced at her parent, and both 
laughed. 

“ Tell him, if you wish,” the Captain said. 

w I am held by the governor every night as a 
hostage,” she explained. “ He reasons that 
father will not attempt to sail away at night if 
I am on shore.” 

u And there’s where he’s right,” broke in the 
skipper, caressing his daughter’s hand, which 
was thrown over one of his stalwart shoul- 
ders. “You see, she’s all I’ve got now her 


238 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


mother is in heaven, and I don’t mean to have 
her far from me.” 

“ That’s just it,” continued Buth. “ He won’t 
have me far from him, and so, though the gov- 
ernor doesn’t know it, he sleeps on shore every 
night, and is near enough to me for me to call 
him should I need his help. We communicate 
with each other by a string from my window. 
I let down notes to him, and draw up his 
answers. In that way I told him of you, and 
lowered to him the note you received this morn- 
ing. He hired that negro boy to throw it in to 
you.” 

“ It is plain enough now how you were able 
to work in my favor,” the midshipman remarked, 
“ but back of what you did there was a motive. 
It was your love for our beloved cause, and I 
shall tell our commander of your patriotism.” 

u Bless you, lad, wait until we have done 
something worth telling of,” Captain Hatch 
responded. “ Wait until I get home, and then 
I shall offer my services to the naval com- 
mittee.” 

“They’ll be glad to take you, sir,” Tom 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


239 


affirmed confidently, and then he told of his 
trips with Lieutenant Jones, and of the latter’s 
discovery of the safe channel for the fleet only 
a mile away. 

“ To-morrow morning before this time,” he 
concluded, “ both garrisons will be ours.” 

“ I’m glad to hear it. That means that I can 
soon resume my voyage,” said the Captain, rising ' 
and going forward to attend to some matter 
which needed his personal oversight. 

Before sunset, at which hour Mistress Buth 
had to return to the shore, the young officer and 
she had become the best of friends. It was 
nearly time for her to go, and they were stand- 
ing alone near the starboard railing, where they 
had a good view of the western fort and its 
surroundings. Suddenly she made an announce- 
ment which changed his entire plans for the 
coming night. 

“ I meant to have told you before now, Master 
Foster,” she said, “ that the governor is hiding 
the greater portion of his stores and ammuni- 
tion so your commander cannot find them should 
he capture the garrisons.” 


240 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“ Where is he putting them ? ” quickly ques- 
tioned Tom. 

“ No one knows but himself and the men 
who are doing the work,” she responded. u They 
have two large floats and for two days have 
been loading them during the day, and taking 
them away during the night. The last loads 
will go this evening, and the men who carry 
them away will remain at the place to which 
they are taken until your squadron has departed. 
That makes the governor the only one on the 
island who knows where the stores are, and he 
would die before he disclosed their whereabouts. 
I’ve overheard him and Master Gridley talking 
about it.” 

“Then I shall go with those last loads,” 
the midshipman declared. “Where are the 
floats ? ” 

She pointed out the spot on the western shore, 
below the fort, where the lading was taking 
place, and then said approvingly : 

“ I knew you would do it, for it is what I 
would do if I were in your place. May the 
dear Lord bring you back in safety.” 


A BOLD RESOLVE. 


241 


“ He will because you will pray for me,” re- 
plied the lad reverently. 

“ Can I serve you in any other way ? ” she 
asked. 

He thought a moment, and then explaining 
how sure he was that Lieutenant Jones would 
visit the great tree to capture the lookouts he 
added : 

“ I wish I could get a note to him.” 

“ Write it, and I will see that he has it,” she 
promised. 

“How?” 

“ That is my secret. But I have a safe mes- 
senger.” 

He had no thought that she meant herself, 
and when she left the schooner she carried the 
note she afterwards put into the hands of the 
senior lieutenant. 

About the same hour Tom was put on to the 
western shore, near the redoubt, whence he 
proceeded over to the place where the loaded 
floats were lying, intending to conceal himself 
upon one of them, and go with it to its destina- 
tion. 

16 


CHAPTER XIII. 


THE MISSING STOEES. 

The young officer had no definite plan of 
procedure in mind as he crossed over to the 
western shore. He only knew that somewhere 
along there he would find the great floats. 
After they were found he could decide on a way 
to board one of them. 

Soon he reached the beach, and at a point, as 
he quickly discovered, a short distance below, 
the vessels for which he was searching. Cau- 
tiously he advanced until he was abreast of 
them. 

They showed up quite plainly even in the 
darkness — two huge flatboats, piled high with 
goods, and furnished with temporary masts and 
sails. They were also lying, as he had antici- 
pated, some distance out from the shore, for 

there was no pier on that side. 

242 


THE MISSING STORES. 


243 


44 I shall have to swim for it,” he muttered. 
44 Even if there were a yawl I should not dare 
use it.” 

He hesitated a moment, and then went on 
with his soliloquy: 

44 Perhaps I had better go some rods up the 
beach before I take to the water. I can then 
float noiselessly down to the nearest craft, and 
crawl on board.” 

Suiting the action to the word he continued 
to the north a rod or two where he came upon 
a boat drawn up on the shore. He stopped and 
examined it. It was not fastened, and the oars 
were drawn in across the gunwales. The dis- 
covery caused him to look sharply about him, 
but he saw no one. 

44 They cannot be far away,” he said to him- 
self ; 44 perhaps up at the fort, and will return 
soon. That is what the floats are waiting for. 
I must get off to them at once or I shall be left 
behind.” 

He proceeded along the beach until out of 
sight of the yawl, and then rapidly disrobed 
himself. Tying his garments into a bundle with 


244 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


a string he took from one of the pockets, he 
then bound the package upon his head. 

Entering the water as soon as these prepara- 
tions were completed, he waded out until beyond 
his depth, and then began to swim, keeping his 
head as erect as possible. 

When as far off the shore as the floats, he 
turned to the south, and went slowly and silently 
down towards them. Soon he came to two 
skiffs which the nearer vessel had in tow. 

“ She’s well* supplied with tenders,” he 
thought, “ but I presume has them to load and 
unload her cargo.” 

Crawling up into one of these crafts he took 
hold of its painter, and pulled himself up under 
the stern of the flatboat. There he raised his 
head until nearly even with her deck and 
listened. 

Two men, not far away, were talking. 

“ I don’t see what keeps the Captain,” one of 
them was saying. “ It’s time he was here ; we 
ought to get off before the tide turns.” 

“ He was going up to the governor’s for his 
final orders,” the other man replied, “ and has 


THE MISSING STORES. 


245 


probably been delayed. It cannot be long, 
however, before he will be here.” 

“We shall have an easy time on that cay,” 
the first remarked after a moment of silence. 
“ Plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and nothing to 
do. They may keep us there a month, John, 
for all of me.” 

“ I reckon the most of us feel about the same 
way,” the second declared. “ But it was cute 
of the governor to send the goods over there. 
I wonder what the commander of that squadron 
will think when he finds they are gone ? ” 

“ He may think what he pleases,” responded 
the other. “To find them will be another 
thing.” 

“ Evidently there is no chance for me to get 
on board at this end,” Tom commented under 
his breath, and, leaving go of the rope, he 
dropped over the side of the boat into the 
water. Swfimming along the starboard side of 
the vessel he quickly reached her bow, and 
caught hold of the anchor cable to swing him- 
self on board. 

“ Hello ! what’s the matter forward ? ” a voice 


246 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


exclaimed, and there was the sound of footsteps 
down the deck. 

In an instant the lad sank back into the sea, 
and drew himself under the projecting bow of 
the float. 

Whoever it was that came to examine the 
hawser, he evidently decided there was no one 
around, for he soon went leisurely back to his 
station. 

“Those fellows are thicker than peas in a 
pod ! ” the young midshipman soliloquized. 
“ It is evident I cannot get on board this craft 
without being discovered. Better luck farther 
along I hope,” and he swam over towards the 
other flatboat. 

Beaching her after-boats, he found there were 
three. Taking hold of the gunwale of the one 
nearest her stern he rested himself. 

“ Three tenders here,” he mused, “ and two 
at the other float, with a third on shore. That 
looks as though this one had her full comple- 
ment, and will sail as she is. What’s the mat- 
ter with my taking possession of one of these 
crafts, and going over to her destination in that 


THE MISSING STORES. 247 

way ? I’ll be less likely to be discovered, and 
will get there about as soon as she will.” 

The idea pleased him, and he took another 
look at all three of the tenders. Finding the 
outer one was a good-sized yawl, with deep 
sides, and movable seats, he remarked in an un- 
dertone : “ This is the place for me,” and 
promptly crawled into the boat. 

Once there he slowly dressed himself. Then 
he took out the bow thwart, and curled down 
into the smallest space possible. 

“I won’t be seen here as long as it is 
dark,” he said complacently, “ and possibly 
we may reach our destination before the moon 
rises.” 

Lying there he heard the coming of the cap- 
tain of the rear float, and his passage out to his 
vessel. Then some one on the bow of that 
craft called out to the one in whose tender he 
was : 

“ We are ready ! You can make sail any 
time ! ” 

“ Aye ! aye ! ” was the reply, and then the 
creaking of ropes and the flapping of sails told 


248 


'TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


that both the flatboats were getting under 
weigh. 

“ Good ! we are off,” Tom declared to himself 
a moment later as he felt the yawl move. Then 
he added facetiously : 

“ Go right along, old girl ! I’m coming too.” 

A few minutes later he raised his head, and 
looked behind him. The lights of the town 
told him that the floats were taking a south- 
western course, and with a sigh of satisfaction 
he straightened his limbs out under the middle 
thwart, saying : 

“ I may as well make myself comfortable 
until we reach the cay those men on the other 
float were talking about.” 

There was just swaying motion enough to the 
yawl to serve as a rocker, and in a few minutes 
he went to sleep. For two hours or more he 
must have kept up the slumber, as it was not 
later than nine when the floats started, and, on 
awaking, he learned it was nearly midnight from 
the conversation he overheard. 

A man at the stern of the leading craft 
shouted back to the other one : 


THE MISSING STORES. 


249 


“We are nearly to the reef. Shall we lay to 
until the moon rises before we go through it ? ” 

“ How long shall we have to wait ? ” the look- 
out on the rear vessel inquired. 

“ Not over a half-hour,” was the answer. 

“ We’ll wait then,” was the decision. 

The lad sat up and looked about him. He 
could make out quite clearly the float ahead of 
him, and see, though more dimly, the one that 
was following. While he gazed first at one, 
and then at the other, they came around into 
the wind, and lay almost motionless on the 
water. 

The yawl he was in swung around with the 
vessel, and soon stretched out behind her to- 
wards the adjacent reef. Peering through the 
darkness Tom could make out a passageway 
through the barrier almost directly opposite 
where he was. 

“ I had better get out of this before the moon 
comes up,” he concluded; “but how ? Shall I 
swim, or go in the boat ? ” 

He thought over the situation a moment, and 
then pushed the yawl back towards the next 


250 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


skiff. Reaching it he swung it around so that 
his own painter came over across its gunwales. 
Then he deliberately cut the rope, frayed out 
its end, and caught it in one of the row-locks of 
the intervening craft. To all appearances it 
had during the voyage caught there itself, and, 
chafing off, set the yawl free. 

This done he allowed himself to drift off to- 
wards the channel with the ingoing tide. At 
length he was far enough away from the flat- 
boat to venture to put out an oar. Dropping it 
softly over the stern, he gently sculled on 
through the open passage into the lagoon. 
There he put out two oars, and rowed boldly 
on towards the cay which he knew could not 
be far away. It proved, however, a longer dis- 
tance than he had expected, but he finally 
touched the beach, and leaped out. 

Simply drawing the yawl up a little way to 
prevent its floating off while he was gone, he 
ran up towards some trees whose tops he could 
faintly discern. Almost immediately he came 
upon a hastily constructed camp under a grove 
of palm trees, and the huge piles of boxes and 


THE MISSING STORES. 251 

bales scattered around told him this was the 
place the governor of New Providence had 
chosen for the island stores. 

“ Now to find some cove where I can hide the 
yawl until I get a better view of these sur- 
roundings by moonlight,” he thought, and 
hurried back to the shore. Leaping into the 
boat, he took up the oars, and began to pull to 
the south, for he was on the northeast end of 
the isle. He kept close to the beach and did 
not go five hundred yards before he reached its 
lower end. No cove of any kind had yet ap- 
peared, and so he rowed on, coming to the west- 
ern side in a few minutes. 

“ It’s nothing but a cay, and a small one at 
that,” he now muttered, “ and the only way I 
can keep out of sight of those other fellows is 
to find a clump of trees between here and their 
camp. They are not likely to come over here 
before daylight, and by that time I’ll be off on 
my long pull back to the forts.” 

“ Gracious ! ” he ejaculated the next instant, 
and rested on his oars. “ Those floats took a 
southwest course when they started, but wh$t 


252 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


if they changed it while I was asleep ? I never 
thought of it before, but even a slight change 
in the direction taken would make quite a dif- 
ference in a distance of eight or ten miles, and 
though the crafts were slow they must have 
come that far. I don’t know but I’m in a fix, 
I declare.” 

He whistled softly as he resumed his rowing 
up the west shore. He was so close to the 
beach a thicket of any size could not escape his 
eyes, especially as it was growing lighter every 
moment. Soon he saw a clump of small trees, 
near the water, which he believed would answer 
for a place of concealment, and he pulled in 
towards it. 

As the yawl touched the strand he jumped 
out, and turned to draw up the craft. But no 
sooner was his back towards the trees than a 
man stepped softly out from behind them, and, 
running noiselessly down the beach, caught hold 
of his arms, one in either hand, and held them 
with a grip he could not throw off. As he did 
so he called out tauntingly : 

“ Who are you, my little night-hawk, visiting 


THE MISSING STORES. 


253 


our camp, and circumnavigating our island, as 
though you expected to take possession of it 
and its contents ? ” 

The midshipman thought quickly. Here was 
another blunder on his part. He ought to have 
known the British camp would not be left with- 
out a guard. But the redcoat must have set 
down his gun under the trees. The fact that 
he was using both hands to hold him proved 
this. Could he not by ruse accomplish what he 
could not do by sheer strength : Free himself 
and obtain possession of that musket ? He 
resolved to try. 

“ Let go of me,” he exclaimed in apparent 
anger. “ What a fool you are ! Cannot you 
see the yawl belongs to the great float ? Don’t 
you know that they are both lying off the chan- 
nel waiting for the moon to rise before they 
enter the lagoon ? I’m Tom Foster, the fellow 
who has come over here to take an account of 
the stores. I wanted to get an idea of how 
large the cay was, so I took the yawl and rowed 
around here while the vessels were waiting. 
Let go of me, or it will be the worse for you,” 


254 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


His audacity won. The man dropped his 
hold instantly, saying in an apologetic tone : 

“ I beg your pardon, Master Foster, but how 
was I to know who you were ? You acted like 
a spy trying to find out what you could about 
us. I only wanted to do my duty. I hope 
you won’t lay that up against me.” 

“ Of course not,” Tom replied with a hearty 
laugh. “ What a joke on me ! Well, get your 
gun, and go around to the camp with me.” 

“All right, sir,” the soldier responded and 
hastening up to the trees. 

He returned in a moment with the weapon, 
and handing it to the lad, said: 

“ You take it, sir, while I row you around 
the cay. I’m used to the oars.” 

“Thank you,” the midshipman answered, 
delighted that his ruse had succeeded. 

He was soon seated in the stern of the boat 
with the musket lying across his knees. 
Then the redcoat pushed off the craft, and, 
leaping into it, took up the oars. 

“ Which way shall I pull, sir ? ” he questioned. 

“ Out towards the west reef,” .directed Tom. 


THE MISSING STORES. 


255 


“ I want to see if there is a passage through it 
on this side.” 

“ There is,” the man affirmed. “ I saw it yes- 
terday from the shore. It must be nearly op- 
posite us.” 

u Then we’ll go out through it, and round 
the island in that way,” the young officer re- 
sponded carelessly. 

If the soldier thought he had got more of a 
task than he had counted on, he nevertheless 
set himself resolutely to the accomplishment of 
it. Under his vigorous strokes the yawl shot 
across the lagoon, and was quickly at the reef. 
The opening — a narrow one — proved to be a 
few rods above them, but, running up to it, the 
stout fellow sent the boat through it at good 
speed. 

“ There you are, sir,” he exclaimed as they 
emerged into the open sea. 

The face of the moon here peeped above the 
horizon, and glancing back at the isle the mid- 
shipman realized that his only hope of getting 
away unobserved by the occupants of the floats 
was to keep the cay between himself and them 


256 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


until out of their range of vision. So he said 
abruptly : 

“You have done so well, my good fellow, 
you may pull straight on until out of sight of 
the island.” 

“ What is that for, sir ? ” the man asked, rest- 
ing on his oars, and staring at his companion in 
amazement. 

Lifting the musket and bringing it to bear 
on the fellow, Tom replied coolly : 

“ It means that I am a Continental officer, and 
came over here to see where your men were 
putting those goods. Keep quiet and do as I 
say, and the worst thing that will happen to 
you will be a long pull at the oars. Otherwise 
I shall, greatly to my regret, be forced to send 
a ball through you.” 

The soldier was no coward, but as he looked 
into the eyes of the speaker who was gazing at 
him steadily he knew he had met one who 
would do exactly what he said, and he re- 
luctantly yielded, saying sullenly : 

“ It’ll be a terrible pull back to the forts, if 
there’s where you are going.” 



Lifting the musket and pointing it at the fellow, Tom replied: 
“I am a Continental officer.” Page 256. 

Two Yankee Middies. 



THE MISSING STORES. 


257 


“ How far ? ” asked his captor. 

“ A good twelve miles,” he answered. 

u And the course is straight northeast ? ” 

w Nearly so.” 

w How large a force have you on the cay ? ” 

u There'll be twenty-five when the men on the 
floats have landed.” 

“ Are there any other islands or cays between 
here and New Providence ? ” 

“ Not in a direct line, but there are two or 
three little ones to the north of the course 
which can be seen in the daytime.” 

“ Well, pull away to the west until I tell you 
to stop.” 

The man obeyed, and rowed rapidly for per- 
haps thirty minutes. 

u You can’t see much of it now,” he an- 
nounced ; u leastwise they can’t see you.” 

“ Turn the boat directly about,” Tom com- 
manded without taking his eyes off of the oars- 
man. 

The fellow did so, smiling grimly. 

“ You are a good one,” he said ; “ you don’t 
mean to be caught by turning your head,” 

1 7 


258 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

The young officer made no reply to this com- 
ment, but as soon as his own face was due east, 
called out : 

“ There, hold her ! ” 

The cay looked like a dark spot on a shining 
surface, and the lad was confident the soldier 
was right : he could not be seen. 

“Take a course to the north now,” he di- 
rected, u and row leisurely. I do not want you 
to tire yourself needlessly.” 

“ Thank you,” the Britisher responded in 
some surprise ; and with a long, steady pull he 
sent the yawl in the direction named. 

In another half-hour the midshipman ordered 
the course changed to the east. This enabled 
him to see the isle again without turning his 
head but slightly. There it was a mere speck 
at the southeast, and, keeping parallel with it 
until beyond it, he then directed the yawl to 
be headed straight for New Providence. 

For an hour they kept on, Tom allowing 
his oarsman to rest occasionally, and then some 
islets appeared almost directly across their 
path. 


THE MISSING STORES. 


259 


“ There are your cays,” the young officer re- 
marked, and nodding towards them. 

The soldier glanced over his shoulder. 

“Yes,” he assented, “and we have worked 
too far north. You will want to take a course 
directly east from there.” 

“Very well,” answered the midshipman, 
“ we’ll keep just to the south of them, and, 
after they have been passed by, you can take 
them for a guide. Hold them straight behind 
you till you have lost sight of them.” 

“And soon after that you will see New Pro- 
vidence,” the prisoner answered. 

This proved to be true, and when the sun 
came up out of the deep the gem of the Bahamas 
was not over three miles away. 

“ Our ships are in the harbor, and those ban- 
ners floating above the forts must therefore be- 
long to us,” Tom exclaimed joyfully a few 
minntes later. 

The redcoat turned and gazed for some time 
at the town and the fortifications. 

“You are right,” he finally said with marked 
concern, “ and I suppose that means that in 


260 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES, 

another hour I shall be in the hold of one of 
those crafts.” 

“ Not at all,” responded the lad warmly. “I 
want you to land me on the shore a mile south 
of the village where no one will be likely to see 
us, and the moment your feet touch the beach you 
may take to the woods or go where you please.” 

w Heaven bless you,” said the man. “ I have 
a wife and six children in the village, and I was 
afraid I should never see them again.” 

He resumed his rowing with new vigor, and 
in about a half-hour they reached the land. 
Together they lifted the boat out of the water, 
and carried her up beyond the flow of the tide. 
Then they shook hands, the soldier saying with 
some emotion : 

“ You are a gentleman, every inch of you, 
Master Foster, and Isaac Waters will never for- 
get you ; ” then he slipped into the nearby 
forest. 

Tom kept up the beach to the west arm of 
the harbor. Then he crossed over to the road 
leading to the garrison, towards which he imme- 
diately hastened. He was discovered by Lieu- 


THE MISSING STORES. 


261 


tenant Jones before lie reached its entrance, as 
already related, and that officer, accompanied by 
Midshipman Lyman, went out to meet him. 
But before they could extend the warm greet- 
ings they had for him, he saluted his superior, 
saying : 

“ I have an important report to make, sir. I 
have found the missing stores.” 


CHAPTER XIV. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Lieutenant Jones did not appear surprised 
at this announcement of Midshipman Foster. 
Instead he put out his hand and grasped that 
of his subaltern, saying : 

“ When I found the store-houses were empty, 
I expected this. Come this way and I will hear 
your report.” 

He started to enter the redoubt, but noticing 
the wishful look on Sam’s face he stopped to 
add : “ You may come, too, Midshipman 

Lyman.” 

Then he led the way across the parade to the 
right wing of the fortification. Here he threw 
open a door with the explanation : 

“ I have taken temporary possession of the 
post-commander’s office.” 

Here they seated themselves and Tom asked : 

262 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


263 


“ Shall I give you a full account of my experi- 
ences since we separated, or only that portion 
which has to do with the finding of the hidden 
stores ? ” 

“ Wait a moment,” the lieutenant responded. 
“ Do the Britishers know of your discovery, and 
will they be likely to remove the goods to some 
other hiding-place while we delay ? ” 

“ They haven’t the slightest idea that I know 
where the stores have been taken, and we shall 
find them right where they are now if we do 
not go after them in a week,” was the lad’s 
reply. 

“ Then I will hear your full story,” the senior 
officer said. 

Beginning at the moment when he had been 
led aw r ay as a captive the young officer told 
of the unexpected happenings which had set 
him free, and how he had learned that the 
governor was removing the stores from the 
island. When he reached the point where he 
gave his letter for the lieutenant to Mistress 
Kuth Hatch to be delivered, he paused to in- 
quire : 


264 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ Did you get it, Lieutenant Jones ? ” 

“Yes,” his superior assented. “ The young 
lady brought it to me herself.” 

u I never once thought she meant herself, when 
she said she had a safe messenger,” Tom declared 
in tones of admiration. “ There are not many 
like her.” 

“ It is evident you think so,” the lieutenant 
returned. 

“ I don’t care,” answered the midshipman 
stoutly. “ You will say so when you see her. 
She is as fair as she is brave.” 

Lieutenant Jones shook his head, and glancing 
over towards Sam, declared solemnly : 

“ It’s a bad case, Midshipman Lyman. But I 
do not see that we can do anything. We shall 
have to let him go on.” 

A blush mantled Tom’s cheek as he said: 
“ Go on with my report, I presume you mean,” 
and then he related how he found the flatboats, 
concealed himself in the yawl, and reached the 
cay undiscovered. His adventures there with 
Master Isaac Waters, and how he had made the 
soldier row the boat over the long course back 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


265 


to New Providence, followed, much to the 
amusement of his hearers. 

“ That is all,” he concluded, u except I allowed 
my prisoner his liberty.” 

u He had earned it,” the lieutenant commented 
drily. Then he continued : 

“ You have had nothing to eat since last night, 
Tom ? ” 

“ No, sir.” 

“Well, you will find a boat waiting just out- 
side of the fort. Tell the men to row you over 
to the Laughing Betty , and then to return here 
for me. By the time you have obtained your 
breakfast and changed your clothing I will join 
you. We will then go over to the Alfred and 
see the Commodore.” 

u Thank you, sir,” >( the midshipman replied, 
rising to carry out the order. 

He found the boat on the east beach, and 
was carried swiftly out to the sloop, where 
Lieutenant Fanning gave him a warm wel- 
come, and listened almost breathlessly to the 
story which Tom told for the second time. 
He then got breakfast, and dressed himself 


266 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

for the interview with the commander of the 
squadron. 

He was barely ready, when Lieutenant Jones 
arrived bringing a paper in his hand. 

“ I stopped at the pilot boat as I came along,” 
he explained, “ and looked over that roll of charts 
again. Here is one which I am confident has 
upon it the cays you speak of. See if it is not 
so.” 

The subaltern took the chart and unrolled it. 
It covered that portion of the sea known as the 
u Tongue of the Ocean ” which lies between New 
Providence and the Andros islands. All reefs, 
islets, and cays were designated, and he had no 
difficulty in picking out the one on which were 
the missing stores. He found it was called 
Bird’s Eye Cay. 

“ Here it is,” he remarked to the lieutenant, 
pointing it out. 

“ Go down into the cabin, get a quill and 
trace out the route by which you went to it, 
and also the one by which you returned,” that 
officer directed. “ Then with the chart in your 
pocket go over and make your report to Com- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


267 


modore Hopkins. After thinking the matter 
over I have decided that it is better for you to 
go alone, and you need not mention you have 
made any report to me.” 

The look Tom gave him led him to add with 
a marked emphasis on his words : 

“ It may be a good thing for the commander 
to have a report occasionally from some one be- 
sides Lieutenant Jones.” 

The midshipman bowed and replied : 

“ Very well, sir. I will go at once.” 

He descended to the cabin, traced out the 
routes on the map as his superior had suggested, 
and then returned to the deck. The yawl of 
the Laughing Betty was already lowered, and 
entering it, he gave the order to pull for the 
flag-ship, while the lieutenant went back to his 
boat and returned to the fort. 

Lieutenant Seabury was in charge of the deck 
when the lad arrived at the Alfred \ and hastened 
to congratulate him on his escape. He asked 
no questions about the affair, however, and to 
Tom’s request to see the Commodore, replied : 

“ I will send word to him at once.” 


268 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


In five minutes the midshipman was shown 
in to the commander’s cabin, where that officer 
sat alone. 

“ So you have escaped, Midshipman Foster,” 
he remarked as the subaltern came in, and there 
was an inflection in his voice, as though he de- 
sired to know the reason for the interview. 

“ Yes, sir,” the young officer replied, “ and I 
have come to report that I have discovered the 
whereabouts of the missing stores.” 

Commodore Hopkins leaped to his feet with 
the exclamation : 

“ Are you sure of this, my lad ? ” 

“Perfectly sure, sir,” Tom responded con- 
fidently. “ Let me first point out to you on this 
map where they have been taken, and then I 
w T ill tell you how I came to know of it.” 

As he spoke he drew the chart he carried 
from the pocket of his coat and spread it out 
upon the cabin table. Eagerly his commander 
bent over the paper and listened to the subal- 
tern’s explanation. 

“ The goods are on this cay,” he said, placing 
his finger on the isle, “ about twelve miles from 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


269 


here. This line marks the course the floats took 
when I went over with them, and this is the 
route by which I returned in the small boat.” 

“ You have been there, then?” questioned the 
Commodore, raising his head and looking with 
some show of astonishment at the lad. 

“ I have, sir,” the midshipman replied modest- 
ly. “ Shall I tell you about it ? ” 

“ Yes, everything,” Commodore Hopkins de- 
clared ; w tell me how you came to know of the 
governor’s plan, how you joined those floats, as 
you call them, and the incidents of your voy- 
age.” 

With as little detail as possible Tom told his 
story, giving Captain Hatch and his daughter 
full credit for their share in his deliverance, and 
the information they had given him, and passing 
lightly over his own part in visiting the cay. 

When he had done the Commodore said : 

“ It is an important service you have ren- 
dered us, Midshipman Foster, but hardly one I 
should have assigned to so young an officer. 
Yet no one could have done better, and since 
you have doubtless formed an opinion about 


270 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the best way to recover those stores, I would ask 
you what it is ? ” 

“ I should make the men who took them over 
there bring them back,” the lad responded 
promptly. 

u It would be pretty near the right thing, I 
declare,” assented his commander with a broad 
smile, u and to send the governor himself over 
to superintend the work. But how about the 
lagoon ; can one of our frigates enter there ?” 

u I do not think so,” was the answer. “ The 
water is too shallow ; that is why the governor 
used the floats. But the Laughing Betty could 
get through the channel and near enough in- 
shore to cover the camp with her cannon, while 
a few more men added to her crew would make 
a force sufficient to take possession of the cay. 
There are but twenty -five men there.” 

“ Return to the sloop, and send Lieutenant 
Fanning over here at once,” was the Commo- 
dore’s abrupt command. 

In ten minutes the commander of the Laugh ■ 
ing Betty was closeted with Commodore Hop- 
kins, where he remained for a half-hour. When 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


271 

lie returned to his own vessel, it was to give an 
immediate order for her anchor to be hoisted, 
and for her to be taken over to the west fort, 
where there was a rude pier. She was laid 
alongside of this, and five cannon were brought 
out from the garrison and added to her arma- 
ment. After these were in place a good supply 
of ammunition was put on board, and then she 
sailed over to the flag-ship. Coming under her 
starboard quarter, a force of twenty-five men 
under the command of Midshipman Lyman was 
transferred to her, and the governor of the 
island received as a passenger. 

As soon as these arrangements were completed 
she threw otf her grapplings, and under full sail 
started out of the harbor. When the bar was 
crossed, her head was turned to the southwest, 
and with a good breefce from the northward to 
help her on she sped away for Bird’s Eye 
Cay. 

The governor, when brought up from the 
hold of the Alfred , and ordered on board the 
sloop, promptly obeyed, but it was with a 
mystified air as though he was wondering what 


272 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


the movement meant. When the Laughing 
Betty started out of the harbor, he seemed to 
grow more puzzled, and glanced about him as 
though he wanted to question some one about 
her trip. His eye fell upon Tom, who was at 
that moment coming towards him, and ap- 
parently recognizing him, he exclaimed : 

u Are you not the Master Foster, who was 
brought before me yesterday morning ? ” 

“ I cannot deny my identity,” the midshipman 
replied, secretly amused at the turn of affairs 
which had made the official a prisoner. 

“ But I thought you then said you belonged 
to Captain Hatch’s schooner ? ” the great man 
went on sternly. 

“ I did, since the captain was good enough to 
add my name to his crew that morning before 
I was arraigned before you,” explained the lad 
with a smile. 

“ Added your name that morning,” repeated 
the governor, “ where had he seen you ? ” 

“He had not seen me,” the young officer con- 
fessed. “I never met him or saw his vessel 
until after you set me free,” 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


273 


“But you had met his daughter, Mistress 
Buth,” persisted the Britisher as though it was 
beginning to dawn upon him how he had been 
outwitted. 

“ No, sir ; I saw her for the first time on your 
veranda,” Tom answered, realizing that his 
reply would perplex the official more than ever. 

“ How then did she know you ? Why did 
she speak as though you belonged on board her 
father’s vessel ? The little vixen, I believe she 
knew all the while that you were a spy, and 
planned to help you,” cried the governor in- 
dignantly. 

“You will have to ask her,” responded the 
young officer. “ I never betray my friends.” 

There was a moment of silence, and then the 
prisoner asked abruptly : 

“Where are we going.” 

“ You will soon learn,” the midshipman said 
evasively, and turning to give the orders which 
would put the head of the sloop to the south- 
west. 

The moment this course was taken the 
governor seemed to suspect the destination of 


274 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

the vessel, for as soon as Midshipman Foster 
was again at liberty, he remarked : 

“ You are bound for Bird’s Eye Cay.” 

“ What a Y ankee you are ! ” was the response. 

“Me! A Yankee !” almost shouted the offi- 
cial in his wrath. “ What do you mean, sir ? ” 

“ That you have made a good guess,” Tom 
replied with a laugh. 

“ Oh ! ” ejaculated the governor, somewhat 
mollified. Then he inquired : 

“ Who told you the stores were over there ? 
I did not suppose there was a person remaining 
on the island who knew but myself.” 

“ I do not think there was,” the young officer 
admitted. “ Your men were true to you. We 
found out in another way.” 

“ What are you taking me over there for ? ” 
was the next query. 

“ I shall have to refer you to Lieutenant 
Fanning,” was Tom’s answer as he walked for- 
ward. 

In half the time it took the heavy floats to 
make the trip the sloop ran over the course, and, 
feeling her way through the channel info the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


275 


broad lagoon, she anchored so that her broad- 
side commanded the British camp. 

A casual glance showed that the men sojourn- 
ing at the isle had been taking things easily. 
The cargo of one of the floats which came over 
the previous night was untouched, while that of 
the other was only partially unloaded. Nor 
had there been as yet any effort to pile the 
stores up systematically, for they were strewed 
eveiywhere from the water line to the clump 
of palm trees, under which the camp was 
pitched. 

The arrival of the sloop had, moreover, been 
taken as a signal for what work was going on to 
cease, and the toilers on the float, and on the 
shore, were standing in groups, evidently dis- 
cussing her unexpected appearance. As she 
had no flag flying from her mast her real char- 
acter did not seem to dawn upon the watching 
men, while the sudden discovery of the governor 
on her deck led quickly to the conclusion that 
he was in command of the vessel, and for some 
reason had thought it necessary to come over to 
the cay. 


276 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“ Alive there, lads, go on with your work,” 
shouted the commander of the camp, as soon as 
that decision was reached, and, as his men re- 
sumed their task with surprising zeal, he him- 
self jumped into a boat and pulled out to the 
Betty . 

He was allowed to mount her deck, and, 
touching his cap, he addressed the island 
official : 

“Glad to see you, sir. Hope nothing is 
wrong, sir. We will straighten out things as 
fast as possible, sir. Will you come on shore, 
sir ? ” 

“ I have nothing to do with this craft,” re- 
plied the governor curtly. “ There is her com- 
mander,” and he pointed to Lieutenant Fan- 
ning, who stood near him. 

That officer, with a broad smile on his face 
as though he enjoyed the situation hugely, 
said : 

“This is the Continental sloop Laughing 
Betty , six guns, and fifty men. Will you sur- 
render at once, or shall I open fire on your 
camp ? ” 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


277 

The surprised Britisher looked towards the 
governor, but that official had turned his back 
upon him as though indifferent to the whole 
affair. Forced, therefore, to act for himself, he 
stammered : 

“ What are the terms ? ” 

“That you and your men take the stores 
back to New Providence. Then all of you 
shall have your freedom,” was the immediate 
announcement. 

Again the man looked at the governor, but 
he was staring straight off towards the reef. 

“ How long may I have to consult with my 
men ? ” he questioned. 

“ Fifteen minutes.” 

“ I will give you an answer in that time,” he 
responded, and, returning to his boat, rowed 
hastily back to the shore. 

Before the specified time had elapsed he 
swung a white flag in token of his surrender, 
and the two midshipmen with a force of thirty 
men were sent to take charge of the cay. 

In a short time Midshipman Foster returned 
announcing : 


278 TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 

“We have disarmed the enemy, taken posses- 
sion of the camp and floats, and the men are 
ready to go to work.” 

On receiving this report Lieutenant Fanning 
turned to the governor, saying : 

“ You are to go on shore, now, sir, and super- 
intend the reloading of the barges.” 

“ And suppose I refuse ? ” the official re- 
sponded haughtily. 

“ Then we shall force you to do it at the point 
of the bayonet,” was the decisive reply. 

The Britisher bit his lip in his wrath, but en- 
tered the yawl which, in charge of Midshipman 
Foster, took him over to the isle. Midshipman 
Lyman had already distributed his men so as to 
guard both the land and boat forces, and, on 
the arrival of the governor, the transfer of the 
stores began. The Continentals made no other 
attempt than to see that the work was properly 
and expeditiously done, and the island official, 
finding that he had the task to execute, pro- 
ceeded to superintend his men with a skill 
which was truly commendable. By night the 
partially unloaded float had so nearly received 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


279 


her full cargo, that an hour of toil in the early 
morning completed it. Then, leaving Midship- 
man Lyman with his twenty-five men in charge 
of the isle, the Laiighing Betty began the con- 
voy of the flatboats back to New Providence. 

Against the almost head wind the heavy 
barges made slow progress, yet before noon they 
had rounded the northwestern extremity of the 
island and entered the harbor. Though absent 
less than twenty-four hours, they found that the 
crews of the other vessels had not been idle 
while they were gone. The work of disman- 
tling the forts had begun. Two brigs, having 
no cargoes, and which were lying in the harbor, 
had been seized, and were being put in readi- 
ness to receive the stores as fast as they were 
brought into the bay. New bulwarks were 
also in the process of .construction on these, and 
on the Hiram Holmes , that they might be 
fitted to carry an armament of six guns each. 
The frigates, too, were undergoing extensive 
alterations that they might receive the addi- 
tional cannon, and have magazines large enough 
to hold the ammunition still in the garrisons, 


280 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


and which was brought back from Bird’s Eye 
Cay. 

“We are to have an easy time of it until the 
floats are ready to go back for their next loads, 
Tom,” Lieutenant Fanning announced when he 
returned to the sloop after visiting the Commo- 
dore. “The men in the fortifications are to 
furnish guards for the governor and his gang 
while we are in port, and we have only to sit 
still and see our comrades work.” 

“Probably our commander thinks the bring- 
ing back of the stores is our part,” the lad an- 
swered. Then with a slight blush he continued: 
“ It is a good time for me to visit the Amos 
Bradford .” 

His friend laughed. 

“ Go over any time this afternoon you wish 
to,” he good-naturedly replied. 

About two o’clock, therefore, the young officer 
ordered out his yawl, and was rowed over to the 
schooner. Before he reached her, he saw Mis- 
tress Kuth standing alone by the starboard rail 
watching his coming. He took this as an indica- 
tion that his visit would be to her only — a 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


281 


circumstance which for some reason was very 
pleasing to him. Waving his hand in token 
that he saw her, he spoke to his men who 
increased their speed. In another minute he 
was alongside of the vessel, and, ascending to 
her deck, he quickly grasped the fair girl’s hand. 

“I am glad to see you again,” he said. 

“ I expected you this afternoon,” she replied. 

“ I found the missing stores,” he continued 
somewhat proudly. 

“ I knew you would,” she answered with no 
less pride. 

u Let me tell you about it,” he went on. 

“ Nay, let me tell the story,” she responded, 
going on rapidly to tell the incidents of his 
undertaking with surprising accuracy. 

11 How did you know it ? ” he asked, interrupt- 
ing her. 

“ Lieutenant Jones told me,” she explained. 
u He came over here yesterday afternoon to 
thank father and me for assisting you. He 
then gave us a full account of your adventures, 
and said many pleasant things about you. He 
thinks highly of you.” 


282 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“I wish some one else did,” he exclaimed 
impulsively. 

“ Who ? ” she asked innocently. “ Do you 
mean father ? If so, I can assure you that his 
opinion of you is as great as that of the lieu- 
tenant.” 

“I value his good opinion,” admitted the 
young officer, “ but the person I was thinking 
of is nearer by.” 

u Oh ! you must mean Elijah Simsbury, I 
guess. He’s in the forecastle,” she remarked 
demurely, but there was a mischievous twinkle 
in her eyes which suggested that she was not so 
dull of comprehension as she appeared to be. 

“ I have two bits of news for you,” she went 
on with haste as though to prevent him from 
resuming their present topic of conversation. 
“Father has decided to wait until the fleet sails 
so as to have a convoy home ; and Commodore 
Hopkins has invited us to dine with him at six 
this afternoon.” 

“ I am glad to hear both of those things,” he 
answered with heartiness ; “ the first for my 
sake, since I shall see you occasionally ; and the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


283 


latter for your sake, since the commander must 
mean it to be an appreciation of your services.” 

“ I am glad for another reason,” she acknowl- 
edged frankly. 

“ What is that ? ” lie inquired with interest 
because it interested her. 

“ You are to be invited to dinner also,” she 
announced, u and that shows the Commodore 
appreciates what you have done. Father says 
midshipmen are not often invited to dine with 
commodores.” 

u Hardly,” he responded, and almost believ- 
ing she had been misinformed. But on his 
return to the Betty an hour later he found the 
Commodore’s invitation awaiting him. 

The dinner proved to be more of an affair, 
however, than the lad had anticipated, for when 
he, at the appointed hour, went over to the 
Alfred, he learned that all of the captains and 
executive officers of the squadron had been 
invited to meet the Salem captain and his daugh- 
ter in recognition of the services they had ren- 
dered the fleet. But he was so inseparably 
connected with all that they had done, that the 


2S4 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


honor extended to them reflected largely upon 
himself. Nor was Captain Hatch the man to 
allow it to pass unnoticed that the freeing of the 
young midshipman, and the giving him the 
information about the purpose of the governor, 
would have amounted to little had he not pos- 
sessed the ability and the courage to follow the 
enemy to the distant cay. 

“ I am proud that we — myself and daughter — 
were able to assist so promising an officer,” he 
concluded. 

Much as the lad prized this commendation, 
however, and others which he received that night, 
he valued more a quick look which the fair 
maid at the opposite end of the table gave him 
while her father was speaking. It was but for 
an instant yet it told him as truly as though she 
had put her thoughts into words that he and 
the encomiums heaped upon him were not a 
matter of indifference to her. 

Owing to the delay in placing the stores on 
board the brigs a week passed before the final 
loads were brought over from Bird’s Eye Cay. 
Another week elapsed before the new bulwarks 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


285 


of the Laughing Betty had been constructed, 
and the alterations on the other vessels com- 
pleted. But at length there came a beautiful 
March morning, when all was in readiness for 
the departure of the squadron, but the release 
of the prisoners. For it had been decided that, 
with the exception of the governor of the island 
and the commanders of the two garrisons,* all 
should be liberated. Quickly the incarcerated 
men were sent on shore, then all sails were 
hoisted, and the nine vessels — including the 
four frigates, the two sloops, the two brigs, 
and Captain Hatch’s schooner — crossed the 
bar and headed northward — homeward bound. 

* There is a difference of opinion about the number of pris- 
oners Commodore Hopkins brought away from New Provi- 
dence. I follow the best authorities. 


CHAPTEE XV. 


THE “GLASGOW.” 

As soon as the squadron was well out to sea 
it assumed the form of a Greek cross. The 
Alfred led the upright line, and was followed 
by one of the brigs. Then c°«me the Amos 
Bradford , and behind her the other brig, while 
the Cabot brought up the rear. The transverse 
was formed by the Laughing Betty and the 
Andrea Doria taking a position to the right of 
Captain Hatch’s schooner, while the Hiram 
Holmes and the Columbus sailed on her left. 
This arrangement brought the unarmed vessels 
at the center of the fleet, and placed a frigate at 
each of the four ends of the crux. 

For several days good progress was made, 
and then the squadron found itself becalmed. 
A week passed with hardly breeze enough to 
waft a feather across a ship’s deck. Then came 
four days of light and variant winds, during 


THE “ GLASGOW.” 287 

which the fleet did not make over one hundred 
miles. 

But the morning of April first dawned gray 
and threatening. All day long the clouds 
thickened, and the wind, shifting into the north- 
east, increased. After a while it became dif- 
ficult for the vessels to keep together, and a 
signal was displayed at the mast of the Alfred , ' 
directing all to report at New London in case 
they became separated. When the night shut 
down the rain was pouring in torrents, and the 
Laughing Betty was alone on the face of the 
deep. 

She had held to her course as long as possible, 
but when the Amos Bradford, which alone re- 
mained in sight, turned and under bare poles 
ran off before the storm, she followed her ex- 
ample and also scud away to the southwest. 
The larger vessel outran her, however, and, with 
the coming of darkness, had disappeared. 

For forty-eight hours the tempest raged, then 
the rain ceased, and the wind whipped around 
into the northwest, but still blew with unabated 
force, 


288 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


The course of the sloop was changed, and, 
under reefed jib and mainsail, she tried to work 
her way back to the north. She made some 
progress, but was carried so far out to sea, that, 
on the morning of April sixth, when the wind 
moderated, she found herself a hundred miles to 
the southeast of Block Island. 

Towards this she was headed, while a sharp 
lookout was kept for the other vessels of the 
scattered fleet. At noon a schooner was sighted 
far off towards the west. 

“ I think it is the Amos Bradford” Midship- 
man Foster announced. “ Shall we run over 
towards her ? ” 

“ Yes,” Lieutenant Fanning assented with a 
smile. “We may at least speak her, and as- 
certain if all has gone well with them.” 

In a half-hour they decided she was not Cap- 
tain Hatch’s vessel ; and sending down into the 
cabin for a glass Lieutenant Fanning scanned 
her closely. 

“ She is flying the British flag,” he exclaimed 
the next instant. “ Clear away the guns. Pipe 
all hands to their stations.” 


THE “GLASGOW.” 289 

In a moment all was excitement on board. 
The prospect of capturing a prize, and taking it 
into port unaided, filled the whole crew with 
enthusiasm. Every sailor sprang eagerly to his 
place ; every man was ready to do his duty. 

Rapidly the vessels approached each other, 
until there was less than two miles between 
them. Then the British captain discovered the 
character of the sloop and sheered off. 

He was too heavily laden to beat up against 
the wind, and so, crowding on all sail, stood 
away to the southeast. The Laughing Betty 
gave chase, and, though well loaded herself, and 
unable to spread as much canvas as the schooner, 
yet she slowly overhauled her. 

In two hours she was near enough to send a 
ball from her bow gun under the stern of her 
prey — a hint she treated with contempt ; and 
it was not until the next shot carried away her 
maintopmast that she hove to. 

Midshipman Foster and ten men were sent 
over to her. The extreme youth of the officer 
led the grizzly-haired captain to exclaim, as he 
mounted to the deck ; 

*9 


290 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


“ This is an outrage ! Is my vessel to be 
stopped on the high seas by a parcel of 
boys ? ” 

“ I am Midshipman Foster of the Continen- 
tal sloop of war the Laughing Betty” replied 
the lad with dignity, “ and whether I am young 
or old, I shall be obliged to demand your 
papers.” 

With considerable bluster the angry skipper 
produced them showing that his schooner was 
the Lady Mary , bound from Barbados to Que- 
bec with an assorted cargo. 

“ I shall have to relieve you of your command, 
sir,” Tom remarked politely, when he had ex- 
amined the documents. 

The old captain made no answer, but the 
young officer, on the ground that silence was 
virtually consent, called six of his men to the 
deck, and put them in charge of the vessel. 
Then he turned to the skipper again, saying : 

“I must now request you and your mates to 
enter my boat, and accompany me over to the 
sloop.” 

Sullenly they obeyed, and in a few minutes 


THE “GLASGOW. 1 


291 


were put on board the Betty , where the midship- 
man made his report to her commander. 

“You have done well,” Lieutenant Fanning 
said, “ and I will have you take the prize into port. 
Choose six more men to accompany you back 
to her, as that will make your force none too 
large should any emergency arise. Place the 
schooner’s crew in confinement for additional 
safety, and see if you can repair the broken 
topmast. I will stand by you until you are 
ready to sail.” 

“Thank you, sir,” the subaltern replied. 
Then selecting his additional men he had the 
four sailors, who were still in the yawl, row 
him and them back to the Lady Mary . 

Ordering her crew into the forecastle, he par- 
tially covered the hatch, and stationed an armed 
guard beside it. Then he turned his attention 
to the broken spar. A new topmast was found 
in the hold, and, hoisting it out, he as rapidly 
as possible pushed forward the work of putting 
it into place. Night was at hand, however, be- 
fore the task was finished, and Lieutenant Fan- 
ning sent over word that the vessels had better 


292 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


lie to near each other until morning, lest they 
should become separated in the darkness. This 
was done, but early the next morning, with a 
light breeze from the south, both vessels cleared 
away for Block Island, which was still fifty 
miles to the north. 

There was no increase of wind during the 
forenoon, and at midday it died away to a mere 
cat’s-paw, so the progress of the crafts was nec- 
essarily slow. In the afternoon, however, there 
was a change for the better, and about four 
o’clock the southeast point of the island was 
sighted. At the same moment also a brig was 
discovered standing down the east shore. 

Signaling that he would crowd sail on the 
Laughing Betty and intercept her, Lieutenant 
Fanning left the schooner to follow in his wake, 
and sped off toward the stranger. 

She proved to be a bomb-brig which had be- 
come separated from her consort, the frigate 
Glasgow , for which she was looking. Though 
larger than the Betty , she had but a single mor- 
tar, and a smaller complement of men. Possibly, 
too, she thought the schooner which was ap- 


THE “GLASGOW. 


293 


proaching was also an armed vessel. For these, 
or other reasons, she surrendered, without an 
engagement, and grappling with her, the sloop 
transferred her crew to her own hold, and put a 
prize crew of ten men upon her under the com- 
mand of Boatswain Gray. 

These arrangements had been completed by 
the time the Lady Mary arrived, and, escorting 
the two prizes, the Laughing Betty started to 
round the south end of the island, intending to 
run up into Long Island Sound. But the wind 
again died away, and for a second night she 
lay quietly on the sea, keeping her prizes with- 
in hail. 

On the following morning, with high hopes 
of reaching New London in a few hours, the 
three vessels resumed their voyage. But as 
they passed by the southwest point of the isle 
a British frigate, which both Lieutenant Fan- 
ning and Midshipman Foster recognized as the 
Glasgow , came around the north end. Catch- 
ing sight of the three craft, she immediately 
gave chase. 

Both the schooner and the brig were near 


m 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


enough for the lieutenant to shout out his 
his orders. 

“ Clear away for Montauk ! ” he commanded. 
“I will keep between you and the frigate. 
Perhaps you may escape ; ” then he pluckily 
turned to make a running fight, with a ship 
carrying four times his own number of guns. 

The scene which Tom witnessed standing in 
the stern of the Lady Mary , for the next half- 
hour, was not unlike a conflict between a huge 
mastiff and a small terrier, wherein the little 
dog runs up towards its antagonist and barks, 
but when the big dog makes an attempt to close 
it turns and runs away. 

Over and over again Lieutenant Fanning re- 
peated these tactics, sending shot after shot at 
the frigate, damaging her slightly, but escap- 
ing all injury himself. 

So interested was the midshipman in these 
movements of the sloop he did not notice the 
sea in front of his own vessel until a man for- 
ward called out : 

“ Fleet ahoy, sir, on our larboard ! ” 

Then he turned to see the other vessels of the 


THE “GLASGOW. 1 


295 


squadron coming down towards him. The 
Cabot was in the lead, and advancing at a pace 
which would soon enable her to assist the 
Laughing Betty . A mile behind was the Al- 
fred, crowding on all sail as though eager to 
take part in the fray, while the other members 
of the fleet, too far away to be of any practical 
help for at least a half-hour, were nevertheless 
making strenuous efforts to be in at the finish. 

“ Hurrah ! Hurrah ! ” the delighted lad 
shouted at the top of his lungs. “ The frigate 
is ours ! ” and it certainly seemed so. 

On by the schooner and the brig, in between 
the Glasgow and the plucky sloop, went the 
Cabot , every gun ready for instant action. In 
five minutes more the two frigates were pour- 
ing hot broadsides into each other. 

Lieutenant Fanning, anxious to do his part 
towards crippling the Britisher, ran out of the 
cloud of smoke which floated down from the 
Cabot , and sheered around under the Glasgow '' s 
stern. He had just reached a point where his 
guns would have raked her decks, when the 
flag-ship, now not a quarter of a mile off, sent 


296 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


up a signal for him to withdraw from the fight. 
Believing the Alfred meant to take his place, 
he with regret fell back to make room for 
her. 

To his surprise she now tacked around to the 
leeward of the Cabot and signaled her to with- 
draw from the engagement also. Her com- 
mander obeyed, and, without any further effort 
on the part of the Continentals to prevent her, 
the British frigate was allowed to escape. 

There were at least three wrathy officers who 
followed Commodore Hopkins into Long Island 
Sound that morning. They were the captain 
of the Cabot , Lieutenant Fanning, and Mid- 
shipman Foster ; and all were wrathy for the 
same reasons : They believed the Glasgoiv might 
have been captured, and that too without a 
damaging fight. 

It also looked as though the executive officer 
of the flag-ship was in a similar frame of mind, 
for when asked some hours later why the ves- 
sels were ordered out of the engagement, he 
gave a peculiar shrug of his shoulders, and re- 


THE “ GLASGOW.” 297 

u The Commodore was afraid some one would 
get hurt.” 

In three hours the entire squadron entered 
the harbor of New London, whence despatches 
were forwarded to Philadelphia giving a full 
report of the cruise. 

A few weeks passed, and then there came 
peremptory orders from the Naval Committee 
which broke up the fleet. Three of the frig- 
ates — the Columbus , the Cabot , and the An- 
drea Doria were directed to sail on independ- 
ent cruises, while the Alfred was to go to New 
York under the command of her second lieu- 
tenant, Master Benjamin Seabury. 

For her three senior officers there were sepa- 
rate commands. Commodore Hopkins and Cap- 
tain Saltonstall were to repair to Philadelphia, 
where they were to appear before the Naval 
Committee and answer to charges of incom- 
petency which had been preferred against 
them ; * and Lieutenant Jones was to leave at 
once for Newport where a new vessel awaited his 

* The result of this trial was the dismissal of Commodore 
Hopkins, and the censure of Captain Saltonstall. 


298 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


command. As a special mark of commenda- 
tion also he was allowed the privilege of choos- 
ing such officers and men of the Alfred as he 
wanted to serve with him on the new ship. 

There was considerable excitement on the 
frigate when these tidings became known, and 
some speculation as to what men would be 
selected to accompany the senior lieutenant. 
There was, however, no surprise when it was 
announced that Lieutenant Fanning and Mid- 
shipmen Foster and Lyman had been chosen as 
the officers. 

The former promptly accepted his appoint- 
ment, but the two midshipmen were undecided, 
and for this reason : The post that morning 
brought a letter for Tom which read. 

Salem, Mass., May the 1st, 1776. 
Midshipman Thomas Foster : 

My dear Sir : — 

As you may have learned, the Amos Bradford 
survived the storm which scattered the fleet, and 
reached her destination in safety. But here is a piece 
of news you have not learned. I have bought out the 
other owners of the schooner, transformed her into a 


THE “GLASGOW. 


299 


brigantine, renamed her the Ruthless (because Ruth is 
to stay on shore with her grandmother), fitted her up 
with ten guns, and enlisted a crew of one hundred and 
twenty men. I have her commission as a privateer, 
and am ready to sail as soon as I can find two more 
officers. Your old friend Captain Lewis of the Polly 
consents to go as my first officer, and I offer you and 
your comrade Lyman the berths of second and third 
lieutenants respectively. It isn’t exactly the same 
thing as the regular navy, but it will be of as much 
use to the cause, and I hope you and your shipmate 
will accept the places, especially since the Naval Com- 
mittee have agreed to release you. Let me know as 
soon as possible your decision. Hoping it may be 
favorable, 

I am yours truly, 

Charles J. Hatch. 

For three hours Tom and Sam debated the 
matter, the latter always concluding : “ I will 
go where you do. So make up your mind 
quick.” 

Finally Lieutenant Jones himself was con- 
sulted. 

“ I shall hate to lose you, lads,” he said, “ but 
this is an unusual opportunity for your advance- 


300 


TWO YANKEE MIDDIES. 


ment, one which would be long in coming in 
the regular navy, and if it were myself I should 
accept.” 

That decided it, and when two days later 
Lieutenants Jones and Fanning, and the nine 
men the former had selected to go with him, 
left for Newport, the two midshipmen accom- 
panied them as far as Providence. Then they 
took the stage for Boston, where they delayed a 
single day to look over the town the British 
had so recently evacuated. From there they 
went on to Salem, where the Huthless and a 
new career awaited them. 

THE END. 


A* L* Burt’s Catalogue of Books for 
Young People by Popular Writers, 52- 
58 Duane Street, New York ^ ^ ^ 




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